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Before we start talking about “The Exodus”, I would like to introduce myself, I am Stephan Terblanche and I like to party. Also, entertainment is what I live for. I am not musically talented, but I have been working in the music industry for 10 years, I started off as a marketing and media assistant at Hilltop Live (the Oppikoppi events company) and ended up 10 years later as a shareholder at The Grind Bar and Eatery (RIP). I am just a guy standing in front of you asking you to love my ideas.

We are all dealing with a brand new problem in a world that has come to a sudden and drastic standstill. This has been tough, but I for now I would like to address our future and our next new problems.

I suggest we treat the depression we all have been exposed to, not just as a natural side effect of chronic boredom, but rather as the next pandemic. When this is all over, I propose we do a reverse lockdown, or rather “The Exodus”, we should be forced to go out once a weekend and enjoy an arts, culture or tourism activity to ensure we have a shared experience with other humans aka “a good time” with other people on a scheduled basis.

Consuming art is a great antidote for the big sad

Please don’t think I am suggesting skipping the meds your psychiatrist prescribed, I am purely saying that if you have not been high on art for a while I kinda understand why you are not vibing with reality. I am talking about enforcing this to the level lockdown was, cops should go round to houses and make sure you have been out at least once over the weekend and you should be able to show slips as proof as we had to for smokes. I can only envision the Sunday morning scramble to find the slip for last nights jol on a hangover when you hear the knock on the door from local authorities.

If depression is taken seriously as an illness with an unimaginable death toll, an increased “infection rate” because of, loss of income, loss of loved ones to the virus and a struggling economy, we have no option other than trying to change the world for the better and make this world not just bearable as the old normal did, but have fun on a regular basis and make sure we have “playtime” keeping us all sane and happy together.

Going out and enjoying art in any form, be it; paintings or sculptures at galleries, films in a theatre, bands at a venue, fuck it even watch the ballet with your significant other that you have been lying to her about since the first date, and doing all of these things with people we love and really enjoy spending time with is my humble suggestion for trying to build our society and heal the world.

When we go out and see things made to be enjoyed

We learn who we really are, what you like is who you tend to be. We are what we consume, to be honest. Eventually if you spend enough weekends enjoying your enforced chosen experience, we will find like-minded people that have the same interests and then these people become your support system, or even “friends”.

One aspect of lockdown I have really enjoyed was the lack of “keeping up with the Oppermans”, for a while we were not trying to compete with each other to show who has the Fortuner with the most extras, our obsession with the latest and greatest possessions was put on hold because we had real problems to deal with. Enjoying an arts activity is not made to be a competition, there are no losers when it comes to enjoying something with others.

Not to sound like a cold and flu ad but the suggested exodus plan has a 3 prong attack to bringing happiness to the masses, self-awareness and knowing who you really are, friends and a feeling of belonging in the world, and making winners of each and every one of us, yup, even you.

So, how do we approach The Exodus?

If you are asking how we are going to fund this, you are not taking this seriously enough. The cost of lives to depression will far outnumber the cost in monetary value. “Close to 800 000 people die due to suicide every year, which is one person every 40 seconds” – That comes straight off the World Health Organization’s website and was based on pre-lockdown deaths.

Also that is not how a world crisis works, Covid-19 didn’t come around because the world could afford it. There will need to be government subsidized fun, basically, and if you want to argue against a rich and healthy culture you are wrong. Renaissance beats the Great Depression every time.

I am pretty sure I won’t be able to convince the government about this, to be honest, I would not know how to contact the government even if I had better ideas, but if someone could tag Gareth Cliff that would be cool. We could be remembered as more than just the Covid Kids.

Stay Safe.

Watch this space for updates in the Opinion category on Running Wolf’s Rant.