What we love best about our country is that Lebanese people always look for humor in every tough situation… and they always find it and share it.
It is both a blessing and a curse, really, but hey, who wants to be serious all the time? Sometimes life needs to be taken lightly. And humor is therapeutic!
On the other side, though, people need to be serious when they need to. No one has any doubt that the Lebanese people have been going far and beyond to prove themselves to be up to any challenge.
I mean, look at our year so far: economic crisis, ongoing deterioration, many disappointments, the threat of locust invasion, and recently Coronavirus outbreak.
Yet, amid all of this, people are still working hard and doing their best to continue what they’ve started in 2019: revolting.
People have been revolting almost every day for many months now, and while sometimes it resulted in victories, many other times people were disappointed, ignored, and overlooked.
So we really can’t blame them when they laugh at their unfortunate circumstances from time to time.
Because this is who we are as Lebanese people. We are being oppressed and treated unjustly, yet we are the most fun and energetic people in the world. When Coronavirus first arrived in Lebanon, people panicked, which is understandable.
Mothers rushed to overstock their houses with huge amounts of Yansoun, places that sell Spirto are probably getting ready to move into their newly built villas, and face masks are all over the place.
Of course, pharmacies had a shortage of face masks because some thought to make a profit at the account of the Lebanese people’s health, and went on exporting them.
That led to the banning of exports of protective equipment. So, many shop owners who had stocks of face masks made sure that people knew they had them.
A light-hearted fashion store in Lebanon was spotted dressing its mannequins in face masks. This has gone beyond being a precaution, this became an accessory, more so, it’s a fashion statement.
Not only in Lebanon, though, but face masks are also being sold in colors now everywhere in the world. If you gotta fight Coronavirus, you might as well do it with style.
So next time you need to buy a face mask in Lebanon but can’t find it in pharmacies, try looking for them in fashion stores.
Whether this store did it for promotional purposes or just for the purpose of putting a smile on people’s faces in these difficult times, you just gotta love Lebanese people’s creative minds.
In all seriousness, this is a hard time for many people and families, not only in Lebanon but also around the world. Coronavirus is a heartbreaking tragedy that hit the world and has affected and tore families apart.
But it is healthy to laugh at our problems every once in a while, it keeps us sane amid the many crises we’ve been enduring.
We do wish all those infected a soon and quick recovery, and their families patience and comfort. Be safe, Lebanon!
