When thinking about life going back to normal, there are various thoughts that rush through my head: mostly positive thoughts, but some negative and some uncertain. However, these thoughts seem to always be clouded by the notion that the lifestyle I’m dreaming of is still so far away.
I decided to truly think about life going back to “normal” and what that’d mean to me and to many around me. The first thing I thought of was concerts: my happy place. The thought of screaming lyrics at the top of my lungs with some of my favourite people or running around a field at a music festival with my friends makes me ecstatic. Live music is definitely an experience I’ll never take for granted again, especially post-pandemic.
Unfortunately, there were a few negative thoughts that came to mind with regard to the normalcy of our world. Though our planet got what seemed like a break from pollution and carbon emissions near the start of COVID-19, it regrettably doesn’t seem like something we’ll maintain upon the re-opening of the world. Furthermore, it’s been said that after this whirlwind, scientists believe that another pandemic is likely in our lifetime. Although this thought is terrifying and unsettling, I’d hope that our leaders, scientists and our population as a whole would be more prepared and able to adapt early and quickly after knowing the damage a global pandemic can have.
In a better light, when thinking of going back to normal again, I think of my loved ones. I think of getting to see my dad who lives across the border, hugging my grandparents, going on road trips and spending genuine time with my friends. I truly believe that this time away from so many people that I love has changed my perspective and helped me realize that I will never take time with those people for granted again. I also think about how grateful I am to have healthy loved ones and that this isn’t the case for so many across the globe, which brings me to my next point: telling those people that I love them more often. Pandemic or not, I am an affectionate person. However, I think after going through this, I’ll find myself reminding the people I love that I love them and that I’m thankful for them more.
On a less sappy note, like any other 19-year-old, I think of getting to go out to the bars with my friends, being able to attend in-person undergrad classes, going on a vacation and every other exciting, fun and wild thing that people do when they’re young. I definitely don’t want to lose my youth to a pandemic.
To sum it up, I can’t wait to live my life as I please again, to hug my people again and to simply get out of the house more often, but for now, there’s not much we can do. So please, wear your mask, keep your distance and be smart so we can get over Miss Rona as soon as possible!