BY CHRISTINA PARK
In light of the COVID-19 crisis, the new reality is thousands worldwide are dying, graves are being dug, food shortages are being reported, and many families are suffering tragedies.
At the end of all this, will COVID-19 be a thing of the past? Will we ask each other, “Remember when we used to do ‘this’ during the coronavirus pandemic?” Or will things change irreversibly after the world has faced such a reality?
What will the world be like after the coronavirus? It’s a question that does not seem to have a definitive answer. Yet after undergoing a pandemic that has touched every corner of the globe, people’s outlooks will definitely change.
Aside from the dangers of the virus, the side effects of it contain problems that include: isolation, boredom, lack of motivation, and loneliness. For the high school grad classes of 2020, add in a big helping of disappointment as “grads” look at a future without a graduation ceremony, and all that goes along with it.
There is a flip-side to missing out on grad, however, as youth have been asked to take the initiative to keep in contact with each other and to make other types of events happen. In Italy people have been singing together on their balconies, while people here are running birthday car parades, sitting outdoors with neighbours on their camp chairs at two-metre distances, video calling each other, playing games together online, and watching movies together.
It is surprising how much can be done to keep in contact with others using social media and how virtual interaction can elicit the same feeling as face-to-face interactions. Of course, everybody still prefers to meet up physically.
Nevertheless, schools have been teaching with the use of software such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams. Everyone says that an in-class environment would be preferable, but online schooling can be quick and efficient.
As well, group calls occur where students can help each other out on subjects. In the community, more people can be seen outdoors spending time with their family, taking walks, or going biking. Religious institutions continue to meet with worship services being live-streamed online. On Instagram Stories, teenagers are baking, making Tik Toks, and pursuing new hobbies. With everyone’s lives having slowed down, people are reading, reflecting, and realizing what really matters.
In our neighbourhoods, we’ve all noticed children’s drawings of rainbows and positive messages that have been stuck on windows. In a world filled with pain and difficulty, perhaps it is better to think like children, who do not cease to be trustful and optimistic.
You may also have noticed that people have been banging pots and pans at precisely 7 p.m. for healthcare workers fighting at the frontlines of this outbreak. It is heartwarming to see that people have not ceased to want to encourage and support each other.
Even with so much uncertainty, people are finding ways to get through this pandemic. Whether it is investing time in a hobby, finding different ways to bond with friends and family, or surviving in another way, everyone’s situation is different.
However, a commonality everyone can share is hope. This too shall pass. After all, with or without the coronavirus, it is about living life one day at a time.
Christina Park is a Grade 12 student at École Salish Secondary School.
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