According to Google, carrots are pretty good for your eyes, as they are "a good source of beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A—a crucial component of overall eye health." That's what I told myself is the reason why my eyesight is the best of my family's and why I don't require glasses or contacts for everyday life: I was a little bunny rabbit in my youth and ate so many carrots, more than anyone else, I must've strengthened my eyes so much that its effects persisted into my adulthood. Obviously, that's not how the body and science works, but it's what a little girl chose to believe as she chowed down on her veggie sticks.
Now, by no means do I have perfect eyesight, but at least there are ways to help me bridge the gap: glasses, contacts, corrective eye surgery, you name it. There are plenty of people out there with perfect, 20/20 vision today; it's not uncommon. However, what is uncommon that no one has is 20/20 vision into tomorrow.
In the wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, it seems like the world's collective vision into the future all of sudden went from "I can see a couple hundred feet ahead, no problem" to "why is everything in front of me so blurry" over the course of a few months. While we could never predict the future 100% in the past, we at least could identify patterns, observe the trends, and reasonably ascertain what outcomes were ahead for the next few months or so. Now, though, it's like each new week (or day) brings new challenges we never thought we'd be facing.
And yes, I know, professionals and researchers have been saying for a long time that we'd face a global pandemic like this in our near future and therefore needed to be prepared. However, could they have predicted just when it would happen? Or how many people would be affected? Or even how nations and their leaders would respond? I reckon, despite their predictive models and advanced studies, that last piece is what's really throwing us all for a loop and mucking up our vision into the future so badly.
Like all variables, the human response is one that can't be predicted completely but can usually be bounded by some assumptions of how we think it'll behave. Sadly, with people protesting their government's orders (which, remind you, are for their health and safety) and individuals resorting to racism and violence in this time of uncertainty, it seems even our worst assumptions were not enough. At the same time, however, we're seeing just how quickly companies can mobilize to produce the tools required, how selflessly ordinary citizens can come together to fight the disease for hours on end, how simply we can all live when it's down to just the basics. We humans are both the best AND the worst.
It's scary not knowing what's going to happen when we move forward (it's not an if, but a when). I do believe there is a light at the end of this seemingly endless tunnel, I just don't know what it'll look like when we come out the other end. Until that time comes, let's all have some carrots and try our best to strengthen our vision today for the whatever exists on the road ahead.
📷: Carrot cake cupcake with cream cheese frosting
(I made these using the recipe from Pinch of Yum, which I've included right here: https://pinchofyum.com/best-carrot-cake-cupcakes-with-cream-cheese-frosting#tasty-recipes-39598. These cupcakes are super easy to make, and they're delicious too!)