Last Sunday, I found myself standing outside the FairPrice supermarket at Toa Payoh Hub at 6.45am with a small group of other early risers, and strangely thrilled to hear this announcement: “The store will open in three minutes.”

At the fruit and vegetable section, the FairPrice staff are calmly stacking the shelves as we shoppers rush around. When I get to the self-checkout area, a staff member is letting an older gentleman know that those in the Pioneer Generation now enjoy priority shopping on Monday mornings.

The mundane but vital work of supermarket employees and other essential workers used to slip past me unnoticed. Then, people who faithfully did their jobs day in, day out never seemed worthy of notice. Doing one’s duty was not worth remarking on, and hence unremarkable.

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What was worth remarking on?

Why, the exploits of those with power and money, of course, that is to say, the stars of tech, finance, politics, entertainment, sports, et cetera. Everyone’s attention gravitated towards people who stood out, for one reason or another, including those whose chief skill was to grab the spotlight and keep it on themselves.

Now, a tiny, invisible virus has forced much of the world to come to a halt.

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This time of pause and reset is disorientating. It has made visible what used to be invisible, and called into question what used to be acceptable.

Last week, the Financial Times, no less, ran a piece bearing the headline “It is time to make amends to the low-paid essential worker”.

“Economies around the world are going into hibernation,” observed Financial Times writer Sarah O’Connor.

“Governments that have imposed lockdowns to slow the spread of coronavirus are focused on how to help the millions who have been put out of work. But not everyone is hunkered down at home. Essential workers must go out to keep the lights on and their fellow citizens fed. This has exposed an uncomfortable truth: The people we need the most are often the ones we value the least.”

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As the old gives way to the new, I feel a need to re-examine my old life. A recalibration is in order, surely.

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