“The New Normal” or Whatever You Wanna Call it

Hey all! Welcome back!

When you think of life before the pandemic, what do you imagine? What comes to mind? Can you even remember life before the pandemic came around?

If I’m being honest, life before the pandemic for me is unimaginable. I don’t mean this in a good or bad way, I just can’t remember what we used to call “normal.” Even now, when I’m watching TV shows, I ask myself why the actors are not wearing masks. It sounds strange and a odd question, should I be considering masks a “normal” thing now? Last year, if you would have gone to anywhere at all wearing a mask, you would have just been identified as a criminal. You don’t want your face to be seen, you must be up to no good. And yet, here we are, wearing masks everywhere like nothing has changed.

While some cultures are accustomed to wearing masks when sick out in public, I have grown up in America where, in the past, I would’ve saw someone wearing a mask and thought they were out of their mind or as I said, someone up to no good. I find it interesting how our perception of “normal” has changed so drastically since March. It has only been 8 months since the pandemic began and yet our social perceptions have changed in unimaginable ways.

Let that sink in. It has been only 8 months since our lives changed and the pandemic became important in our lives.

I remember back in March when I thought that the news was overexaggerating how bad COVID-19 would be. I remember how I was planning my cruise that I would go on for my 21st birthday in August. I remember coming home from Spring Break thinking that I would be going back to class in a week. I remember when the stores began to shut down. I remember when the state shut down and schools went virtual.

I remember a lot of things and yet, I can’t imagine going into a Walmart now without a mask. I can’t imagine going to any public gathering without a mask.

That being said, the “new normal” is what our perception is and how it has changed. So should it even be considered a “new normal” to begin with, or is this just generally “normal?”

Before I finish this lovely post, I ask one thing of you. Please wear a mask. Stop the spread of COVID-19. We have been talking about weird and our “new normal,” this is one thing that I feel I should not have to say but working in the senior living industry has showed me the damage of this virus. While cases have been steadily going up and down depending on where you are, this pandemic is far from over. Countries outside of America are having to begin shutting down again. While we all may not be in the same situation right now, we all have been affected by the pandemic in some way or another.

So please, wear a mask. Save a life. One action can make a major difference in another person’s life.

That’s all folks! I hope you have a wonderful day! Tell me in the comments about your “new normal.” Has life had to change drastically for you?