What’s the new normal?

It’s been about two months since coronavirus changed the world, seemingly overnight. As the days and weeks drag on, I keep asking myself, “Okay. Now what?” I don’t think anyone knows the answer to this question, including the experts and world leaders. I think we’re all asking it, too.

In America, it seems we’re not talking about the actual virus much anymore. We’re more so talking about the political and economic implications of it. I suppose this makes sense. The unemployment rate has skyrocketed in the states and people are restless and discontent.

I’ve been trying very hard not to dwell on the uncertainty. I’m not going to talk about the politics of the situation – that’s not my style and not my area of interest. For one thing, the politics are ugly. People here are very angry and there’s been widespread resentment.

Perhaps selfishly, I’ve more so been thinking about what this pandemic means for my loved ones and myself. I’ve been separated from my girlfriend since March 2nd and, other than my grandfather, I’ve hardly had any face-to-face interactions with anyone.

I’ve been trying to practice acceptance since all this started, knowing that everything is very much out of my control. I’ve also been trying to adapt to the changing circumstances.

Both my girlfriend and my grandfather are considered high-risk, so we’re being cautious about who we come in contact with. I think this is smart. The questions I keep asking, though, is, “When will we go back to normal?”

Part of me thinks, well, we won’t. Maybe the way we’ve been living now is the new normal. Until there’s a vaccine, perhaps the idea that we can go back to traveling freely and without restrictions won’t return for a while. Perhaps the big events of the past – things like baseball games in crowded stadiums – won’t return for some time, either.

This saddens me, but there’s not much I can do about it. I’ve been trying to practice acceptance since all this started, knowing that everything is very much out of my control. I’ve also been trying to adapt to the changing circumstances. It seems like everyday something new develops in the way we have to handle this situation.

The pace of change has slowed down recently. But it still feels odd to be afraid to go to the store or even take a walk in my neighborhood. Taking walks has been keeping me sane. But even when I do, I’m making sure to not get to close to people. Social distancing is probably necessary, but it still feels very odd.

I don’t think any of us know what the future holds. There has been all sorts of speculation, but no one knows for certain. I guess the best we can do is take each day as it comes and live one day at a time.