Our pandemic world

Memorial weekend signals the start of summer in America. Americans, especially in Northeast like me, get very excited about the thought of putting away those heavy jackets, gloves, and snow boots. The freedom of going out to the beach barefooted and feeling the grains of sand on the toes is priceless. The thought of feeling the warm sun rays on my face while I prune my roses makes me jump up in joy.  Everyone start thinking about summer vacations, picnics, cook-outs, flea markets, etc., etc. People gather in their yards, parks, beaches feeling liberated from the winter blues. Memorial Day parades happen in every town, with streets decorated in blue, white & red theme, marching bands from local schools playing the patriotic songs and excited crowd lining the sidewalks with the flags. This was all before an invisible intruder hit a pause button on our lives. Our freedom, health, finances, happiness all wiped away in an instant by this pandemic of historic proportions.

Never in our lifetime have we experienced an outbreak that would put the entire world in a lockdown mode for months. People afraid to even step out of their houses with fear of contracting this terrible infection. Masks becoming an integral part of our outfits and hand sanitizer becoming our shields. We would have never imagined a world where women would care less about their mascara than their masks. Similarly, generous layers of hand sanitizer decorated women's hands than the nail polishes.

With social distancing measures, meet & greet has become a thing of the past. The joy of socializing is take away when we have to stay 6 feet apart, wearing our masks, not sharing a handshake, or a hug.
We all could not think of getting on a crowded subway or rubbing shoulder with a stranger on a flight now. The things we did so casually have become so complicated since this outbreak. The new protocols or safety measures that are imposed on us have changed our lives upside down.
Our world now becoming nearly "Virtual"... from doctor's visit to marriages all done online. It has really opened new avenues for many professions where digitalization did not exist before. I hope that "Work from home" culture persists long after this pandemic vanishes, keeping our roads and air cleaner.

This virus not only gave us emotional and financial stress, but it also taught us to be humble. Its wrath did not spare the rich and the famous. In the medical field, every doctor was scratching their head by the varied presentation of this infection and how to combat it. In a country like the US with a robust infrastructure who would have imagined a short supply of the most basic equipment to protect our health care workers in the frontline? Finally, this microbe has clearly shown us that monetary possession does not mean much, especially during a crisis. How many of us reached for our wallet in the last two months to feel relaxed? On the other hand, people around the world have been engaging in virtual meetings, social media, etc. to stay connected with their loved ones. What really is giving us the strength is our willpower, which is, in turn, powered by our personal relationships. Social distancing has, in fact, brought us closer together emotionally, and this pandemic has clearly shown us the value of human bond over the stock market bond.