This too shall pass. The Great War lasted for four years. But little did they know this on the unfortunate day of the assassination of the Archduke; little did they know what would happen when the German army knocked Belgium’s door. Nevertheless, the Great War passed, and so will the Great Pandemic.

History is written afterwards. It is obvious to us that the Great War took place from 1914 to 1918, how the countries got involved one by one; what were the consequences, and how the new world order looked after.

We can even be confident and think rationally how the Great War indirectly resulted in the Second World War, from 1940 to 1945, and how that war as well would reshape the global order. But little did they knew.

Little did they knew

Little did the 18-year old soldier in 1914 knew that he would leave his families not just for a week or a month, but for many years to come. Little did his pregnant wife knew she would not see her husband again. Little did their children knew they would leave home, to become refugee for the next four years, or even for a lifetime.

Little did the young man who managed to get on a train to flew Hungary knew it would be the last train for the next four years that left the country at all, and he would not return, unless to a world he did not know anymore.

Little did the 80-years-old man knew he would see his brother back after having been separated for many decades, thinking they lost their lives in the battle fields. Little did the cornel knew he would see his men back after their ship sunk.

History is written afterwards

History is written afterwards. It all makes sense afterwards, when we look back and connect the dots. When we look broad and draw the lines. History is written afterwards. To them who are now our historic symbols, our heroes and heroines, the world might have been as chaotic as it is for us now. They might not have known they would become the protagonists of our history books, the drawers of tomorrow’s lines.

We are living in unprecedent times, we experience chaos and anxiety to more or less degrees. We are living in the chaos of a transition period; jumping on the moving dots of a historic event; walking in no men’s land between the world as we knew it, and the world as we don’t know it yet.

It can be a frightening and exciting at the same time; as much peaceful as turbulent. Many questions arise, and few clear answers are given; rather we are confronted with a pallet of confusing and inconsistent ones that change overnight.

We look for clear answers, but forget that history is written afterwards. The dots will be converted in a consistent timeline, but not until it is all over and we have the temporal distance to look back and reflect.

The First and the Last

The Great War has become a great story for us, with its linear events, and clear explanations. The chaos of the Great war has been reduced to a selection of dots, that were connected to a consistent timeline, written in our history books.

We know now the war lasted four years, how it started and how it ended. But that history has been written afterwards. For them, the soldiers and families in 1914, every day could be the first or the last of the Great War. Like we keep on living in the time of the Great Pandemic, not knowing which day will be the first or the last of a big historic event. As them in 1914, we shouldn’t give up hope that one day peace will return – whatever peace might be. Nor should we make an illusion of having clear answers on our questions, because history is written afterwards.

It is ok to feel overwhelmed and insecure, to live in the Big Unknown. It is ok to feel how the world as we knew it is laying behind us, and our ships are sailing towards unknown territory. It is all ok, because one day we will look back, see the dots and connect them. Write them down in the history of our world and our lives, and know it all made sense, somehow.

This article is part of the series of Hope in Times of Corona. Read

1. how this times of self-isolation should not mean loneliness,
2. how you can contribute to this battle, 
3. how gratitude lights up the dark,  
4. how united we will stand strong
5. on the most util strategy in awake of a crisis 
6. how I got blown of my feet as well, but caught by many caring hands, 
7. how being calm can get us through the storm.
8. about Love in Times of Corona
9. how to discover your own talents 
10. why we need stories to hold on to 
11. how you can be creative and innovative.
12. how to spend your mot valuable assets in times of Corona.
13. how to listen to the sound of silence. 
14. How breate taking Corona really is.
15. discover the other freedoms Corona has shown us, 
16. about the new-born freedom Corona gave us.
17. about another way to exceed your personal bubble.
18. about the position of nature in this entire story
19. about nature bouncing back
20. about the crucial choice between resilience and resistance
21. about the game to play
22. about star gazing in dark times
23. About looking for Meaning
24. about what Easter and Corona have in Common
25. About the Shark and the Turtle
26. About the Irony of Distance
27. Why to Hold on
28. Fake News
29. about The Big Unknown we live at
30. about Feeling Alive
31. about what the Birthday of my nephew learned me about life 
32. About where we should go from here?
33. About the Great War and the Great Pandemic, and we should not forget
34. about history’s most important message, echoed by corona
35. How one country could rule them all
36. About how to prevent the next Green Pandemic 

Or wait until tomorrow, when I’ll shine another light on yet another positive corner of this dark times.