Change.  I don’t know many people that like that.  Maybe the occasional new cereal or a new tv show to watch, but nothing that is going to feel like it’s changing your whole life.  Recently all life feels like is one giant constant change. 

In these scary times of unknowns, anxiety, fear and  uncertainty the world feels as if it is becoming a new place.  Things at the beginning of this pandemic that we thought were crazy and obscured are now normal.  You don’t look at someone oddly anymore for wearing a mask in a store, you look at them weird if they aren’t wearing a mask.  

When we talk about change in these uncertain times, all we can think about is how different our lives will be.  But the only things people talk about are the negatives; how we may end up like China having to wear masks for the rest of our lives or we will never be able to hug or high five our friends ever again or we may have to periodically social distance for years to come.  No one talks about the positive changes that can come from this in our world. 

Many good things might be able to be changed in our lives, but no one wants to mention these things:

  1. A common use for basic hygiene

We have been taught from the time we are young children how to wash our hands.  We learned about germs and how it’s important to clean, yet some people don’t do that still.  Now since the start of this pandemic people have finally started doing those basic things we are taught in kindergarten.  We have started washing our hands, sanitizing and cleaning things more frequently, we have been more cautious and learning how germs work and we have started taking more precautions.  Maybe from this point forward we will find more hand sanitizer stations in public and an overall cleaner environment.

  1. A new appreciation for essential workers and first responders

Society has always looked up to people who get paid a lot for doing nothing, people such as athletes, actors, musicians, social media figures, reality stars, very wealthy people, the list can go on and on.  Not that these people aren’t important, but all of these people are being sent to “work at home” in their million dollar mansions to “rough it out”.  The amount of pointless jobs in the world shows how unprepared we are to be able to respond to major issues, there are more people who can work from home than essential workers (BBC, 2020).  Society’s new focus and appreciation is now going to be the people working on the frontlines; our grocery store workers, the people pumping our gas for us, doctors, EMTs, Paramedics, nurses, firemen, police, and those who aren’t able to be safe at home with their families.  They are working in this scary and dangerous world now to make sure the others who are at home can be safe and have what they need.  In the future maybe we will start saying thank you to those who are making $11 an hour instead of those who make tens of thousands to post a picture on social media.

  1. People starting to support local businesses

People have always overlooked and took for granted the small family owned grocery stores and restaurants and instead go to big name places like Walmart, Target, and McDonalds.  Now once this quarentien is over and their favorite little restaurant doesn’t reopen, maybe people will realize the importance of buying and supporting small businesses. 

  1. A new respect for other people

At this time there has to be at least one person you miss.  Or if you just miss people in general and are dying to just leave your house to see at least ONE new person other than the ones who you’re stuck living with and seeing everyday.   “A tiny organism is forcing us to revisit our values, our divisions, our choices as we barricade within our homes with our closest family members and consider what will come next” (CNN, 2020).  As we are sitting at home with the people we care about most, maybe we can take some time to appreciate the time we’ve spent with people and reevaluate what we choose to enjoy about people and how we interact with people.

  1. Respecting our and other people’s personal space

We are constantly so used to just being so close to people at all times.  We are constantly go-go-go, have to do stuff constantly, and everything has to be instantaneous and at our fingertips.  Usually if we go grocery shopping we just want to be in and out, get what we need and leave.  We in society never take time to slow down and just enjoy some space.  But now that we are quarantined we are enjoying our short rides to the grocery stores  and being out of the house, walking around the grocery store with a new space to be in and seeing new faces.  “In the future there will be a renewed focus on finding design solutions for individual buildings and wider neighbourhoods that enable people to socialise without being packed “sardine-like” into compressed restaurants, bars and clubs…” (Guardian, 2020).  Instead of being so packed together all the time and in a rush for everything, maybe we will begin to enjoy some space from one another and be able to stop and smell the roses.

  1. A joy for new hobbies

With not much to do in quarantine all people have started new hobbies just as something to do to pass the time.  Some people are baking, cooking, cleaning and organizing, starting projects they’ve wanted to for a while, playing board games, making music, arts and crafts, or maybe even learning Tik Tok dances (whatever you’re into).  Personally I’ve started baking more (later on I’m gonna make sugar free brownies and homemade ice cream) and I’ve started planning and am gonna work on some fun craft projects once the semesters over.  People are doing anything to get their mind off the scariness of the world.  Hopefully after this people will be able to continue these hobbies that are making them happy.

  1. A new look on life 

 We so often take things for granted.  We never take the time to appreciate things.  We never take the time out of our day to have a meaningful conversation with someone or to appreciate what’s around us.  In other places “we can already see the signs of an awakening. In Italy, a country devastated by loss, people sing together from their balconies, celebrating life and community” (CNN, 2020).  At the end of this pandemic we will hopefully be able to have a new look on life; we will appreciate people, the places around us, being outside in the fresh air, our friends and family, appreciate school and work, those we don’t get to see very often and most importantly just being alive.  Hopefully at the end of this we will all become better people.

Governor Cuomo of New York urged people in a press conference to reimagine life after Covid-19, to look at the situation as a way to change what we find different about this world (MSNBC, 2020).  I know not everything will be perfect in the end, we may end up having to wear masks for a long time and have to social distance still.  But hopefully in the end we can all become better people.  All of this change isn’t fun, but in the end we may hopefully be able to change the parts we aren’t pleased with in our world and make it a better place.

  • Mikaela Emick

Work Cited

How will coronavirus change the world? (2020, March 31). Retrieved April 27, 2020, from https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200331-covid-19-how-will-the-coronavirus-change-the-world

Gleiser, O. by M. (2020, March 29). Covid-19 will change us as a species. Retrieved April 27, 2020, from https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/26/opinions/covid-19-will-change-us-as-a-species-gleiser/index.html

Shenker, J. (2020, March 26). Cities after coronavirus: how Covid-19 could radically alter urban life. Retrieved April 27, 2020, from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/26/life-after-coronavirus-pandemic-change-world


How the coronavirus pandemic could change America forever. (2020, April 21). Retrieved April 27, 2020, from https://www.msnbc.com/11th-hour/watch/how-the-coronavirus-pandemic-will-change-america-forever-82318405691