A world after a pandemic. It sounds like the title of a Netflix horror movie rather than our reality. Though it will seem unlikely given the current state of affairs, a post-pandemic world will arise. There will come a day when we can fly across the country and embrace our loved ones, walk down the street with obvious smiles on our faces, and eat at restaurants like it’s nothing.
Our post-pandemic climate, on the other hand, is a big deal. Because of what 2020 has churned out, we are a new culture as a whole. Everyone has an opinion about how our government is handling COVID-19, how our neighbors are quarantining and socially isolating themselves, and how our children can continue to learn without falling behind. These are ideas we’ve never given much thought to before. “Who had this grocery cart before me?” is a question I’ve never asked myself before, and now it’s the only thing that comes to mind when I run into the supermarket.
When I was pregnant a year ago, it never occurred to me that my daughter would spend her first year of life unable to see anyone’s smiles and gestures because they are hidden behind masks, or that our ability to see family members will be severely limited.
Nobody knows what our post-pandemic society would look like. We haven’t arrived yet. To fight this virus, our country still needs to come together. The fact that people are tired of COVID-19 does not mean that COVID-19 is tired of us. When new research emerges and changes the direction of guidelines, as with any pandemic, we must listen to the evidence and give grace to the experts.
For my part, if a post-pandemic environment appears, I’ll probably keep wiping down shopping carts and carrying hand sanitizer with me everywhere I go. Strangers will smile at each other passing by in a post-pandemic world, and we will be reunited with loved ones very soon, in my hope.
