The story behind ‘CAS CONTACT’

It is funny how sometimes a story comes to you when you least expect it and soon becomes so invasive you cannot dismiss it. It may start with a word, something you may have heard or read. And suddenly, without you knowing it, your brain starts to make associations. Connections between random pieces of your life start to happen, and before you know it, you have a draft of an idea of a story in your head and the urge to write and share it.

I may be new to putting my thoughts in writing but lately, it seems it has taken control over me.

‘CAS CONTACT” is the French word for ‘Close contact’.

My sister has been tested positive yesterday. Therefore her ‘cas contacts’ are to be tested too. It was the 1st time I heard this word in French. Without any rational reason, the only thing I could think of, after processing the news, was how brutal, harsh, aggressive and wrongly disturbing these 2 words sounded to me.

Cas ContaCt …sounds to me like ... K-K-K ….

-like the very infamous 3 letters we all know about

- like the sound of a Kalashnikov's rifle firing

- like an order shouted by a general to his soldiers to engage in combat.

The energy for combat should be against the virus, not against those who are close to us. The contact between individuals should prevail when you are learning not-so-good news. It should not part of the label that ostracizes you.

I know there is nothing rational about what I am writing and it is all very personal to me. Clearly my name (with a lot of Ks in it) and having once been nicknamed Pirana Kalashnikov by a fantastic boss of mine play a role in the story. The fact that today is Remembrance Day cannot be ignored and I feel add weight to my state of mind.

But it goes way beyond that. The realisation of how powerless you are when your guts have decided to take control over your brain and leave you no choice but to surrender is breath-taking (literally). I am not a neuroscientist but I am fascinated by the science and the continuous discoveries in relation to the emerging biology of gut-brain communication. So much more to learn.

But today I have decided to surrender to something bigger than us all. It is called LOVE. And it is universal.