00:00Dear readers, are you well?
00:06You may have returned to work, to classes, to shopping, to traffic jams,
00:13to outings with friends, their daily life.
00:16It is even possible that he has not suffered any material damage, that he has not lost any loved ones, and that his
00:23life has seemingly returned to normal.
00:27It is also possible that the opposite is true, that you are recovering from a material loss or the loss of a loved one, or
00:35from injuries or anxiety.
00:37Since the August 10 earthquake, many Colombians continue to sleep poorly, are easily startled, and check their routes.
00:46evacuation upon entering the building or feel a persistent unease.
00:51Therefore, from this space, we want to pause for a moment today to ask a question that rarely heads the
00:59national conversation.
01:01Dear readers, are you well?
01:06We came from a presidential election filled with intense emotions, tensions, and anxieties.
01:12For weeks we argued about the direction of the country and grouped ourselves into factions with often irreconcilable positions.
01:20A certain anxiety about the future of the country was palpable.
01:25Then the earthquake came.
01:29He did not distinguish between those who consider themselves adversaries.
01:32During those long seconds when everything shook, we shared the same fear, the same uncertainty, and the same
01:41fragility.
01:41Because that was, perhaps, what this disaster reminded us of.
01:45That life is fragile.
01:47That there are forces that are completely beyond our control.
01:51That what we believe to be certain can change in a matter of seconds.
01:56And that, no matter how much we try to control our environment, there will always be events that confront us with our limits.
02:05It's natural that such an experience leaves its mark.
02:08Many people may feel more sensitive, more irritable, or more alert than usual.
02:14Others experience anxiety or feel a constant need to be on the lookout for any sign of danger.
02:21Some even describe a strange feeling.
02:25They think they perceive that the ground is moving or that a building is vibrating when in reality it remains motionless.
02:32These are human reactions to an extraordinary event.
02:36Added to this is constant exposure to news, videos, and images of the disaster that can revive fear.
02:45Getting informed is necessary.
02:47But it is also important to recognize that constant exposure to collective pain can affect our emotional well-being.
02:56That's why we believe this pause we're proposing is worthwhile.
03:01In the midst of material reconstruction, make space to also think about emotional reconstruction.
03:09Let's ask ourselves what this earthquake left in us.
03:13Recognizing our fears, talking about them, listening to the fears of others.
03:17Anxiety often feeds on what we cannot control.
03:22And few things are as uncontrollable as an earthquake.
03:27But there is something that is within our reach.
03:30We can get closer to those we love.
03:33We can call that relative we haven't spoken to in a long time.
03:37We can ask about our neighbors, our friends, our co-workers.
03:42We can keep each other company and we can ask a simple question.
03:49Are you OK?
04:12Good morning.
04:13Are you OK?
04:15Are you OK?
04:17Are you OK?
04:17Are you OK?
04:18Thanks for watching the video.
