4 Lessons I Learned During the Lockdown
An environmental cleaning worker cleaning the empty pedestrian bridge at Las Vegas Nevada during the lockdown (AP Photo/John Locher)
Above, the sun is shining bright and skies clear. Below, the streets are empty and stores dark. At 5 pm, you used to see headlights of cars in the afternoon rush-hour traffic; but now, you see empty streets with joggers chasing the sunset.
I stuck my head out of my window to feel the afternoon breeze, Las Vegas, the city that never sleeps, is in a deep slumber. Though seeing wildlife filling the streets is very much amusing, the void left from the absence of human activity gives me a sentiment of a long fight.
As the economy begins to reopen, I cannot help but look back on the past few months and reflect on some of the things I have learned during this lockdown. We have encountered so much adversity, uncertainty, and fear; today, we are beginning to see some light slipping through the cracks.
The Emptiness of Indefinite Solitude
We, humans, are social animals. Introverts or extroverts, interactions with other human beings fulfill us in one way or another. Whether we prefer large parties or deep one-to-one conversations on the balcony, we have to admit we need consistent inter-human interactions to survive. Though technology has adapted to allow us to connect remotely, there is just something different, something unsatisfying about a virtual connection. After an extended period of talking to your significant other or loved ones through a computer screen, the emptiness of indefinite solitude really does dig into your mental wellbeing.
People Are More Empathetic Than We Think
How many of us saw at least one guy/girl who was hoarding toilet paper or bottled water in the early stages of the pandemic. For me, being the Asian that I am, I saw a woman hoarding six 15-lb bags of rice at one of my local supermarkets (rice was in severe shortage as well, and a bag of rice was selling at a whopping $80 on Amazon during the lockdown). That woman literally carried 90 lbs worth of rice back home that fine afternoon! And we see on the News: selfish people hoarding supplies to the point when even healthcare workers cannot gain enough access to necessary supplies. With those stories being broadcasted daily, it is easy for us to think, “Man, people are dicks.”
However, if you really look, people really aren’t that bad. In many parts of the world, communities are coming together (maybe not literally) to help one another during the pandemic; we have people making postcards for one another, neighbors singing together, people coming together as groups to aid one another in different means, and various companies doing their part in assisting relief.
We are still connected and empathetic towards one another. No matter how bleak your faith in humanity may seem, it is crucial to remember that altruism and care do exist.
Travel Redefined
One thing we all missed during the lockdown was traveling. In the pre-pandemic world, vacations were a luxury. We request time off with our bosses and spend our savings over the last few months to go to exotic places or foreign countries. Traveling is the opportunity for us to explore, learn new things, and also to escape from the usual. We work our butts off for months to take a week or two of vacation to sip on mango margaritas on the beach.
During the lockdown, we all sit by our windows and glare out into the empty streets. The noise of traffic and construct was missed, and even the ability to sit in a restaurant worry-free was missed.
In the post-lockdown world, travel is redefined. Traveling is no longer an escape from the familiar and the exploration of the unknown. Traveling, instead, is an adventure. It is our encounter with various aspects of our world on a consistent basis. From every person we meet to every spec of air that beats on our skin. Every time we leave the house is an adventure of its own.
Power of Fear
When the country began to enter shutdown back in March, the novel virus was the big thing. Every corner you turn you cannot help but getting hit in the face with “COVID19.” You turn on the TV, it is showing something about the virus, you go on social media, coronavirus, you drive past a billboard, coronavirus. We are constantly reminded of the cases, fatality, and all these scary things about the coronavirus, we can help but becoming a victim of fear.
“AH-CHOO!” Boom. There it is. I sneezed. The first thought that popped into my head, “Do I have the virus?”
I began to research on CDC, WHO, John Hopkins, and all these articles about the new virus. I started to read through the symptoms of CoVid-19 and began to tailor myself under those symptoms. My heart began to race, my breath getting quicker and quicker, I believed that I had the virus. In reality, no, I do not have the virus; allergies made me sneeze, my fear gave me a headache and anxiety gave me a shortness of breath.
That is the power of fear; it morphs your perspective. It makes a fact-less illusion into a reality. Fear is the overwhelming force that distorts the reality and sways the truth. The more aware we are on the power of fear, the more control we can establish in the times of uncertainty.
--
As doors reopen and pedestrians fill the sidewalks, the memory of empty streets will forever linger. This pandemic and its impact on humanity will be recorded in history and will be reviewed by generations to come. The year 2020 and the experiences it has brought us is not one that damages us, but one that betters us. Whenever we are faced with uncertainty and fear, it is crucial for us to learn, improve, and develop. The development of knowledge will forever be the benchmark of our advancement.
