To be completely honest, I had a hard time deciding on a topic for this article. Despite the non-stop news lately covering all things COVID-19, it’s difficult to decide what kind of information you want to put out into the world. I could have written a piece about good news during a crisis, or a serious piece about the struggles of minorities during this time and the mass job-loss we are experiencing in the United States. I could have written about DIY face masks, my love-hate relationship with Zoom, or how my dog is incredibly happy that we suddenly stopped leaving the house. I could have written about social distanced dating, or how my extended family has called and facetimed more during the past month than ever before. Yet it is hard to feel positive without feeling like you are downplaying the historic moments in which we are living. It is hard to be serious and honest when you don’t know what comes next and when it makes you feel like life is falling apart every time you read the death count.
One thing is certain: the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic will be one of the defining tragedies of our generation. In the past few weeks, I have heard people (mostly professors) say countless times that we are living in “unprecedented times.” But what is this supposed to mean exactly? We were living in unprecedented times before COVID-19, and we still will be afterwards. Just a few months ago, headlines were about the 2020 election, the ongoing climate crisis, the #MeToo movement, and widespread natural disasters. Yet this new crisis is different in that it directly and drastically affects each and every person’s life. A lot of people can ignore news about climate strikes and new presidential scandals, but it is much more difficult to ignore mandated shelter-in-place orders alongside news about a dangerous and rapidly spreading virus. Despite these terrible circumstances, I truly hope these times drive people to be better. I hope people will wash their hands more often and take better care of their health. I hope they will see the governmental struggles over pandemic related policies and be motivated to vote in larger numbers. I hope people will rightfully respect essential workers that drive our society. I hope they will begin to acknowledge the wealth-gap disparities that leave people of color vulnerable to crises such as this. I hope people will make habits of checking up on the mental health of their loved ones and value their connections with others.
As we continue to live through the uncertainty that is the COVID-19 pandemic, I encourage you to focus on the people you love, either in person (if possible) or virtually. Whether you are working, weathering online school, or just trying to stay occupied inside, take life day by day. While we will undoubtedly continue to live in unprecedented times, I hope that we will learn each day how to be better people tomorrow.
