Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic has taken over everyone’s lives, there has been a distinct line between the people who abide by the guidelines and those who do not take the disease seriously at all. Some may choose to fully quarantine themselves for an extended period of time. Some may choose to practice social distancing when venturing outside of their home. And then there are the people who continue to live everyday life as if there is nothing to worry about and refuse to take the proper precautions. There is much to learn from this major life change that we have all had to undergo, but if and when our “normal” life returns, what will people truly take away from this experience?
When it comes to what people should learn from this pandemic, the list goes on and on. For starters, I think that most people including myself are quick to not take things too seriously. In the world that we live in, it is not out of the ordinary for something crazy to happen. Due to the numbness that we feel because of this, we tend to not take situations seriously until it is almost too late. Another thing that I feel people could learn from this experience is what it looks like to have to put others before yourself and to always think about the bigger picture. There have been many instances where people, especially of young age, feel that they are not in danger from the coronavirus so in turn they go about their lives as normal. In turn, many are intentionally or unintentionally putting others who are at high risk in serious danger. While it is understandable for many young and healthy people to be aggravated or annoyed with the thought of staying home and putting a halt to their normal lives, we can’t all just pretend that nothing is happening or even worse, pretend that completely healthy people cannot be deeply affected by this pandemic.
If and when our lives ever return to the way that they were before the chaos, it will be very interesting to see how people will act. I predict that some will act as if nothing ever happened. While this is completely understandable, I feel that many people will return with open minds and a grateful heart. Due to this pandemic, many have had the chance to witness what life looks like for people who are not categorized as your normal healthy person. People live with everyday challenges that others do not know about, so it is always important to remain sensitive to others. Due to the fact that many people lost their jobs and are now struggling to keep their business afloat, I think that many people will be grateful for something as simple as having a job. Before the coronavirus outbreak, we all took our lives and the “mundane” aspects for granted. The simple things like going to work or school, going to the grocery store and even hanging out with friends were usually done without thought or appreciation. The fact that we all have been deprived from the simple pleasures in life is hopefully enough to allow people to be more grateful and thankful for what they have when all of this begins to calm down.
There are many lessons to be learned from all that the world has gone through in the past couple of months. We all need to learn to take situations more seriously, to be okay with giving up comfort for the safety of others, to be more caring and open-minded and to never take the simple aspects of our lives for granted. We will all get through this pandemic together, and on the other side of it we may be changed for the better.
