Normal Again: Nostalgia and Post-Pandemic Life

After almost two years of fighting the novel coronavirus, things around the world are slowly moving towards recovery. You find more open signs at brick-and-mortar businesses. Restaurants offer indoor dining as an option. Companies have allowed employees to return to the office. Schools and child care centers welcome children in person. Businesses are stabilizing, more job opportunities are rising up. But is it “normal”?

Normal is defined as being usual, expected, or routine. Life before the pandemic was definitely routine for me. I felt like I was in a loop. Lacking enthusiasm and adventure. Was I oblivious to the great things that were before me? Did I take the simple things for granted?

Hindsight is always 20/20.

Pre-pandemic nostalgia

Oh, how I’ve missed….

Have you often pondered on the “old days”? Or days of the not-so-distant past? Listening to noisy chatter in a crowded mall while indulging your senses in the food court — the taste of a warm, soft pretzel and the smell of freshly baked cookies. Feeling the joy and gladness of being ever-present in a moment of time to enjoy the encircling smiles and laughter of your friends.

The holiday season is here. We celebrate Thanksgiving. Remember when meeting a surprise guest during Thanksgiving dinner was exciting?

Around this time of year, malls would be bustling with people who were holiday shopping. Volunteers looking for charitable donations. A group of friends looking for ways to pass the time. Airports were busy, busy, busy with families and individuals for business or pleasure.

Did you visit friends and family for the holiday? Or did you cringe at the thought of leaving your COVID bubble to visit an aunt and her two less than school-aged children?

Having pre-pandemic nostalgia is validated. You want to be able to expect things — identify or establish a routine or familiar pattern. Lives were abruptly interrupted by this unrelenting virus. You feel like you have lost something — time, family, friends, jobs, careers, and even social life.

We can not change the past. We can only move forward.

Facts Are Reality

We have all experienced loss during the COVID pandemic. According to the CDC, hundreds of thousands of deaths have occurred in the U.S alone. We have lost family members and friends. Businesses lost revenue — some went bankrupt. Individuals lost jobs and careers. Students forfeited their moment where they envisioned themselves at graduation surrounded by the people they love.

A recap of what has happened. COVID brought everything to a screeching halt. Global lockdowns.Global supply and medical supply chain disruption. Service industry shutdown. Unemployment spikes. Social events cancellations. Overloading the healthcare system. Disbursement of vaccinations — a weapon of defense with our unforeseen enemy.

Hope: Life After Covid

Though we have had a couple of years of bleakness, we can remain hopeful that we are gaining momentum in this fight. Recently, news stations and global newspapers have shed light on the new strand of the virus — omicron.

All the people who traveled for the previous holiday are possibly worried about exposure….inciting fear. That’s not what we need.

Stress, anxiety, and depression have been on the rise since the start of the pandemic. People are isolated while coping with financial struggles, grief, and relationship tension — mental traumas resulting in PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).

The fight with COVID rages on. We are learning to adjust and respond.

Life after COVID may seem far off. Though things will never be quite the same. Normal will be defined by our perspective, views, and surroundings. Over the past two years, masks have become normal. We have adapted. We are in survival mode. We have experienced pain and trauma. Post-COVID life will be shaped by our views through the lenses of change, problem-solving, and taking action to protect yourself and your friends.

Clap, comment, or follow. My eyes and ears are eager for feedback. Thanks for reading!

Sources

1 Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Normal. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved November 24, 2021, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/normal

2 CDC COVID Data Tracker. Retrieved November 26, 2021, from https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#datatracker-home

3 Haleem, A., Javaid, M., & Vaishya, R. (2020). Effects of COVID-19 pandemic in daily life. Current medicine research and practice, 10(2), 78–79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmrp.2020.03.011

4 Taylor, S., & Asmundson, G. (2020). Life in a post-pandemic world: What to expect of anxiety-related conditions and their treatment. Journal of anxiety disorders, 72, 102231. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2020.102231