Rohan Week 13: Pandemic Memories
On March 13, 2020, students in Fremont went home like every other Friday. Little would we know, we would not go back to school in person for almost a year and a half. For us 11th graders, we had part of our 7th grade year and all of our 8th grade year online.
It was an interesting time, when for better or for worse, none of us knew what would happen next. And in the end, what followed was a deadly pandemic that shattered American families and upended our whole expectations and experiences as teenagers and pre-teens.
In a recent New York Times interactive article, Catherine Pearson shared the early pandemic memories of select American families. Reading the article provided me with a reflective experience, and I wanted to take this opportunity to share some of their most powerful memories.
A medical worker from Connecticut, Johanna Wallace, shared that “While driving to work at the beginning of the pandemic, I couldn’t help but wonder: was this how I was going to die? I am an emergency room nurse.”
A mother from Brooklyn, Lauren Alzos-Benke, recalled a vivid experience from a grocery store: “In early March, we were hearing that everything was going to close down, so I made one big trip to Costco after work. As I arrived at our apartment, carrying loads of groceries, I saw a family from our building frantically leaving town. It was like a movie.”
From a flight attendant who learned of COVID after being forced into quarantine due to working a flight that transported passengers with COVID, to a new father who was not able to see the birth of his son in person due to hospital restrictions, the pandemic hit Americans in a very powerful and shocking way.
My memory from the start of the pandemic was a text from my friend containing a blurry screenshot of a press release from FUSD. It announced that schools would be shut for at least two weeks. Two weeks turned into a month, which turned into the rest of the school year. And then it was the complete next school year.
As we move forward from the time of the COVID pandemic, an important lesson to take forward is that it is important to always be grateful for your current situation. Because, like we all saw, it can always get a whole lot worse.
A symbol from the early days of the pandemic (source)
It was an interesting time, when for better or for worse, none of us knew what would happen next. And in the end, what followed was a deadly pandemic that shattered American families and upended our whole expectations and experiences as teenagers and pre-teens.
In a recent New York Times interactive article, Catherine Pearson shared the early pandemic memories of select American families. Reading the article provided me with a reflective experience, and I wanted to take this opportunity to share some of their most powerful memories.
A medical worker from Connecticut, Johanna Wallace, shared that “While driving to work at the beginning of the pandemic, I couldn’t help but wonder: was this how I was going to die? I am an emergency room nurse.”
A mother from Brooklyn, Lauren Alzos-Benke, recalled a vivid experience from a grocery store: “In early March, we were hearing that everything was going to close down, so I made one big trip to Costco after work. As I arrived at our apartment, carrying loads of groceries, I saw a family from our building frantically leaving town. It was like a movie.”
From a flight attendant who learned of COVID after being forced into quarantine due to working a flight that transported passengers with COVID, to a new father who was not able to see the birth of his son in person due to hospital restrictions, the pandemic hit Americans in a very powerful and shocking way.
My memory from the start of the pandemic was a text from my friend containing a blurry screenshot of a press release from FUSD. It announced that schools would be shut for at least two weeks. Two weeks turned into a month, which turned into the rest of the school year. And then it was the complete next school year.
As we move forward from the time of the COVID pandemic, an important lesson to take forward is that it is important to always be grateful for your current situation. Because, like we all saw, it can always get a whole lot worse.
A symbol from the early days of the pandemic (source)
Hello Rohan. Thank you for sharing your own (and others’) experiences with the 2020 Covid-19 lockdowns because it helped me reflect on my own experiences from that time. I remember the day I found out that school was canceled for the next two weeks—I was ecstatic, texting all my friends that we basically got a second winter break. At the end of the two weeks, as you said, schools turned our two week break into a month-long one, which was eventually expanded to encompass the next school year, too (unfortunately, the excitement of having school canceled was long gone at that point). The powerful organization of this blog post helps add to the nostalgic effect it conveys because it examines specific examples of how other people felt during the lockdowns, and this affirmed some of the worries I remember feeling; before scientists knew much about the virus, it seemed like a monster that could come and ruin my life if I was unfortunate enough to be exposed. Because the conclusion follows those examples of worries that people shared during the pandemic, its message—that gratefulness is a necessary virtue in human life—is especially clear and powerful. I appreciate how this blog encourages readers to take a step back from the chaos of their life to appreciate all that has not gone wrong, and I plan to keep this lesson in mind whenever I feel particularly stressed.
ReplyDeleteHi Rohan,
ReplyDeleteYour blog reminded me of the early days of the pandemic when everyone was panicking about the virus and were going to extreme measures to protect themselves. I actually remember the very first few days when people were not aware of the virus but were worried about some kind of disease that was spreading rapidly in January of 2020 as I was traveling internationally. I would listen to the airport speakers informing travelers to report any types of common cold and flu symptoms, and to take health precautions due to an unknown disease. That was actually quite early and my parents were getting worried if we would be able to make it back home safely, as we saw many people at the airport wearing facemasks or protective gear. Again, this was in January of 2020, so I was already aware that something was wrong. Your blog vividly described what many of us might have felt, and when the email from the district arrived about the two week shutdown which was later extended, I was initially happy that we would have online school. Unfortunately, it was not as good as I thought as people started clearing out grocery shelves, the death rate was surging, and the amount of people contracting the virus was dangerously high. Your point about us not realizing how lucky we were to make it out of the darkest days safely really reminded me how my family was able to barely escape the extreme lockdown measures that were put into place as we had made it back to the US on time in early January and how lucky we were to do so. Of course, everyone definitely has their own personal stories about the pandemic, but we all went through a hard time and should definitely appreciate how we made it out safely.
Hi Rohan! I found your blog post to be an accurate reflection on how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted us, and the shared experiences of individuals across the country provides a stark reminder of the profound uncertainty that characterized that period.The anecdotes shared by individuals like Johanna Wallace, Lauren Alzos-Benke, and others offer a glimpse into the wide-ranging effects of the pandemic on people's lives, from the fear and uncertainty faced by frontline medical workers to the surreal scenes witnessed by ordinary citizens in their daily lives. These personal accounts serve as powerful reminders of the collective trauma and disruption caused by the pandemic, highlighting the ways in which it altered our sense of security. Additionally, your own memory of receiving the announcement of school closures underscores the sudden and unexpected nature of the changes brought about by the pandemic. I also remember the exact time we found out that school was going to be off for two weeks. Thinking back, I was so excited to have school off that I had not even questioned why we were getting a “vacation.” This began as a temporary disruption, but soon turned into a prolonged period of adjustment, forcing us to reshape the way we live, learn, and interact with one another. In reflecting on these experiences, you emphasize the importance of gratitude and appreciation for the present moment. The pandemic served as a clear reminder of the fragility of life and the unpredictability of circumstances, which prompts us to cherish the moments of connection that we often take for granted. As we move forward from the challenges of the pandemic, your blog post encourages us to carry forward the lessons learned and to approach life with a renewed sense of gratitude, resilience, and empathy for others. Great job!
ReplyDeleteHi Rohan! Your blog was such a journey to the past as I remember the insane reactions to the virus. Sanitizing everything, wearing masks 24/7, refusing to go outside… those were the times. It is so interesting how so much has changed yet so little as many of us now no longer wear masks. The pandemic feels like such a thing of the past now. I remember my aunt asking my parents in a panic to let my grandma and grandpa come live with us in the US to escape China. My mom refused, and it turned out to be better for both parts of the family. Luckily, we did not lose any of our loved ones, and I could not imagine what it feels like to lose someone so close. With the virus fading almost to obscurity these days, it’s hard to imagine that catching it was deadly for some people. Your blog also reminded me of all the good things that happened during quarantine for me and all the memories I made. With the extra time at home, I was able to explore my artistic hobbies much more than before. Online learning was definitely the most intriguing of them all. Being at home all day really made school feel so different. Thanks for writing about COVID-19 as this blog gave me a rush of nostalgia! It’s shocking to think that, in a little over a year, we will be in college.
ReplyDeleteHello Rohan! I think it was quite essential for us to be reminded of the times during the pandemic. As you mentioned extensively, recollecting our past of the COVD-19 Pandemic helps us realize how happy we should be at our current standing. At the beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic, I was actually a bit excited because a closure like this situation had not existed before. As a result, I had texted my friends to see their reactions, which I found out later to be the same as mine. But over time, I realized that this closure would be in effect for a lot longer than a month; it turned out to be around two school years! I recollect the same series of events and seeing it developed further is quite enchanting for me. Also, looking at other people's stories helps me think about how life had transformed during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Overall, the flash back into the past helped invoke new memories! Thanks for posting this blog!
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