My life in lockdown has become colorless as time slows to a snail’s pace.

ByRachel Tilseth

Apr 1, 2020

A view of the empty streets in my city Turin, Italy. Photograph credit by Brunella Pernigotti.

Twenty-three days have passed since the start of the quarantine. The rules in the lockdown are very severe, especially here, in northern Italy, where the most powerful outbreaks of contagion are occurring.

The time spent at home has taken on a whole new color, more uniform and indistinct, so I’m losing count. What time is it? What day of the week is it? You can only go out for food and basic necessities, so you can see long lines of people in front of shops and supermarkets: silent figures, distant from each other, waiting patiently. It’s strange how this epidemic is re-educating us to patience! The time of doing is suspended, there is no longer anything urgent, so there is no more rush. It would be nice if everyone understood this also for the future: we need slower times and more moments to think.

… And I wonder if it would not be appropriate to disinfect ourselves even inside, washing away all the negative thoughts, hate and malice of the daily life: opening the window of the soul and changing the air would also be useful for our physical health.

On social media, videos multiply where they explain how rooms, hands and masks can be disinfected … And I wonder if it would not be appropriate to disinfect ourselves even inside, washing away all the negative thoughts, hate and malice of the daily life: opening the window of the soul and changing the air would also be useful for our physical health.

I have a hope: that everyone, powerful and ordinary people, take a step back and start again on a more honest basis for humanity and for our Mother Earth who is punishing us in a way, I believe, still forgiving and not excessively severe. We should learn to look at the world with curiosity, with the innocent eyes of children.

I have a hope: that everyone in the world would say the word “peace” simultaneously and in unison!

View of lonely cat on a vehicle in the empty streets of Turin, Italy. Photograph credit by Brunella Pernigotti.

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By Rachel Tilseth

Rachel Tilseth is a Menomonie, Wisconsin-based environmental writer, filmmaker, and owner of Wolves of Douglas County WI Films & Media. Her work explores the intricate relationships between humans, wildlife, and local ecosystems. Through award-winning documentaries like People & Wolves, she seamlessly intertwines emotional depth with vital cultural and environmental education. Tilseth highlights environmental and economic causes that threaten vulnerable ecosystems. Through freelance writing, she advocates for sustainable coexistence between human communities and apex predators. As a documentarian, Tilseth has established a formidable voice in conservation media. Her acclaimed short film, People & Wolves: A Story of Coexistence, won Best Documentary Short at the Red Cedar Film Festival. The project features insights from renowned conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall, alongside perspectives from Ojibwa tribal members, hunters, and biologists. Operating independently of traditional non-profits, Tilseth champions grassroots citizen organizations. She works to educate the public on ecological economics and environmental sustainability to foster coexistence with nature.