Written by: Blanca Allen
Edited by: Kirk Shelton
“It is only in our darkest hours that we may discover the true strength of the brilliant light within ourselves that can never, ever, be dimmed.”
– Doe Zantamata
Normal – what is normal? Nowadays I’m beginning to question what normal is. The dictionary defines normal as “conforming to the standard or the common type; usual; not abnormal; regular; natural.” The part of that definition that gets to me is “conforming to the standard.” It seems as the more time passes, the more we conform to a new standard: a “new normal.”
I went to get groceries a few days ago, and this grocery run was different, to say the least. I pulled into the parking lot to a long line of customers spaced out for social distancing, most wearing masks, as we did too. As we got closer to the entrance several employees were disinfecting the buggies and directing customers into the store. “Please make sure you stay 6 feet apart while shopping,” one of them said as she allowed a couple of people into the store while monitoring the number of people coming out and going in.
Once in the store, several sections were closed: no self-serve pastry items, no special samples, and no chefs showing you how to cook that special dish. Shelves were still cleared of certain items like canned goods, baking items, hand sanitizer, pasta, paper towels, and of course, toilet paper. A limit of certain items like eggs and bread was in place too. As we made our way to the registers, I saw the biggest change: sneeze guards placed in front of and around all the registers and the bagging area. The cashier asked me to stay in one place until she was ready for me to move forward and pay. My mom’s boyfriend was asked to step away from us and stand to the side and wait for us to finish checking out. What would have been a normal grocery run just over a month ago was anything but normal.
I appreciate that every business has been making changes to help fight the spread of COVID-19, and although I have been adjusting to these changes, this experience was very surreal. To be honest, there are some days I question if this is the world we will be living in. A world that our future generations will be forced to grow up in. A world of masked and gloved people; a world of distance and uncertainty.
I’m afraid the “normal” we knew or remember is long gone, and I feel that even as we try to go back, we may never be able to. The handshakes and hugs to come will never feel the same. We will always question how close we are to another virus coming in and changing our world yet again. People questioning if someone coughing or sneezing will have something they can potentially pass to us and our families. Normal will be wearing a mask at work and in public as well as keeping a certain level of social distancing as I believe people will keep this routine even after the fear of the virus is gone.
Yet my biggest hope from all of this is that people will be better prepared for a future that at this time is a bit uncertain. For humanity to look at things from a different perspective and truly appreciate the things that matter in life; you, me, our families. Material things will come and go, but our loved ones can never be replaced. To anyone who has lost a family member to COVID-19, I give you my deepest condolences. To those directly affected by it, please know this too shall pass, and though things may be hard, you will get through this and come out stronger than ever.
“Just as despair can come to one only from other human beings, hope, too, can be given to one only by other human beings.”
– Elie Weisel
Leave a comment below or tell me about a surreal experience you’ve had during the Coronavirus pandemic. Stay Blessed!
