How the Pandemic Has Changed Us

By: Nicolas Matei

Before 2020, we all had seen or heard the phrase “You don’t know what you have until it’s gone” but this became even truer once this awful pandemic impacted all of us. Except this time, it wasn’t just about material possessions, now it was about losing human beings. This virus didn’t discriminate against age, race, social or economic classes. People all over the world were dying. People of age, younger people, celebrities, politicians, loved ones. The virus was touching people everywhere and it was devastating to witness the emotional and psychological effect it was leaving behind. The fear of the “not knowing” kept us awake at night. The “not knowing” how to protect ourselves and our families, the “not knowing” who could be next, the “not knowing” when we could see our loved ones again - if ever.

And then all of a sudden, we became painfully aware of how much we had taken for granted some of the basic privileges we had been enjoying all of our lives. The simple act of hugging people and shaking hands was now forbidden. In an instant, we were asked to wear masks and keep six feet apart from other people. No close contact. Not even with our grandparents, ESPECIALLY with our grandparents! We showed them how much we loved them by staying apart. We felt guilty about all those missed opportunities when we were around loved ones and we could have hugged them or held their hands. Perhaps we had been too distracted with social media or just too consumed with video games that we had missed the opportunity to share a hug with them. Now we were craving family gatherings; we even appreciated the opportunity to drive by someone’s house and waive from a distance almost like saying “hang in there! We will see each other soon again!”

We now became aware of people who still had to go to work, regardless of the pandemic. They became known as the “essential workers”: doctors, nurses, ambulance drivers, the cleaning crews at hospitals, and even food industry workers. We realized how selfless nurses were, all of them leaving their families behind for long shifts at the hospitals. All of them witnessing this cruel virus take life after life. They all instantly adapted to their new environment and donned layers and layers of protective personal equipment to shield not only themselves from this deadly virus but also their loved ones. At times they were the last faces COVID-infected patients would see before they took their last breath. They took time out of their busy schedules to get families on a video call for them to say a last goodbye to their relatives and they stood by their bedside until the last minute so they would not die alone. Perhaps they were never taught in Nursing school that this would be something they would have to deal with one day. And then there were the other essential workers – the ones that made sure we were able to put food on our tables. Supermarket workers never stopped restocking the shelves and making sure the necessities were available to us all. In the past, we might have overlooked or not stopped to think of how essential these groups of people were but now, we found ourselves really paying attention and thanking them for their dedication and commitment.

And we became strong and found ways to bear with the isolation and the monotony of being home 24/7. Some people found comic relief by learning how to do TikTok videos, other people binge-watched TV series in Netflix, and others decided to make the most out of this quarantine period to learn a new skill or to better themselves by taking classes or learning a new language. And people became creative – some learned how to make sourdough bread while others felt this was a good time to get fit and thus, the demand for treadmills and stationary bicycles and weights went over the roof. Everyone found something to do to pass the time. Consequently, the pages on the calendar kept flying off. Seasons came and went and we were still dealing with the pandemic. We missed holidays with our friends and families. We missed birthdays and weddings and graduations and so many other special occasions. And we promised ourselves that we would never take these moments for granted ever again. We became strong for us and for those we felt this was too painful to deal with.

I heard of people making time capsules and putting them away somewhere in their attics just so one day they could show the future generations what they had lived through. Yes, this will be a part of history that will be very hard to forget and reconcile in our minds. But more important than collecting newspaper articles or artifacts that had been put away for memories, will be the proof that we, the generation that lived through this pandemic, became resilient. We adapted, we grew strong, we adjusted our old ways of doing things to a new way. We became empathetic and compassionate and kind. We lifted each other up and vowed to hang in there until this was over, even when we didn’t know when this would be over. Our only hope is that we won’t revert back to our old selves but that we will always care for each other even when the pandemic becomes a thing of the past.