Will Things Ever be the Same Again?

If you had told me a few months ago that we would be dealing with a virus that has shut down most of the world I wouldn’t have believed it.

In college I gave a speech on the Spanish flu of 1918. When I was researching it I was dumbfounded by what I read. I couldn’t believe it. I thought surely we have advanced enough that we could deal with something like that if it were to happen again.

Now here we are with most of the world on lock down. I don’t know if there is any country left untouched by this virus. I know in the US most places have lock down rules in place. You can only leave your house for essentials. They have closed schools for the rest of the year. That is completely crazy sounding, but they have.

Restaurants are closed where you can’t go inside. They are allowed to offer curbside service. Pharmacies are open. Grocery stores and other stores that offer materials for home repair and such are open as well. For the most part the economy is shut down. It’s the weirdest thing I’ve ever experienced. As I’m writing this, I’ve been quarantined in my apartment 24 days now I think. I’m not even sure now.

Here in Mexico they were slower to act. But we are under a lock down order now and just like the US we can only go out for essentials. I’ve noticed a lot of people don’t seem to take it seriously. I know it doesn’t seem that deadly when you look at the numbers, but I think we need to look at it differently.

Many people seem to think, “oh it’s just like the flu, you get over it and that’s it.” But we don’t know that. We don’t know the effects the virus will have on our bodies long term. Doctors are coming into contact with different things. Some are raising warning flags about the way we are treating patients and the long term effects of those choices.

So while this may not seem “that deadly” or “that bad” I urge you to be cautious. One of the problems is that a lot of people can’t get over this without hospitalization and that is overwhelming the healthcare system. That’s why we are running out of the equipment needed. That leaves doctors and nurses having to make horrible choices that they never wanted to make.

As for the question, “will things ever be the same again?” That’s hard to tell. With schools closed for the rest of this school year, many businesses shut down and having to stay inside as much as possible it feels like nothing will be the same again.

I’m sure some things will be different after this. Some businesses will be run differently. More schools may offer online options. More restaurants will offer delivery. Who knows at this point what changes we will face? I urge you to not think of it negatively though. We can get caught up in a negative mindset and feel like things are only changing for the bad.

Look for ways that you can make changes for the good. Many times in situations like these some amazing inventions are dreamed up. You may have a gold mine idea right now. Take this time to work on it. Think about it and put some things into action.

This virus is not the end of the world I can assure you of that. It’s inconvenient, yes. It’s scary, of course. But if you use the proper precautions, you’ll likely be fine. Not only you, but you can rest assured knowing that you’ve helped to take care of those around you too.

One last note. If there are elderly people or immunocompromised people around you that are unable to do all that they need to do. Find out a system where you can help them out. Let’s all pull together and help one another, love one another and care for someone other than ourselves.

That’s what will truly make us come through this as better people. That will be the change we want to see most when this is all over, so we can say, “No things will not be the same again.” I will be different. I will love more. I will care for others more. I will make a difference for someone. I will not take anything for granted. That’s the best change of all.