Thank God It’s 2021: A Look Back on Some Problems We Never Thought We’d Have
On January 1st of 2020 not a single one of us could’ve predicted how different our lives would look only one year later.
Since this day last year, we have seen raging wildfires, tragic celebrity deaths, months of riots in the streets, an unprecedentedly divisive and dramatic presidential election, and (of course) a worldwide virus that has killed millions and affected nearly every aspect of our daily lives.
I mean, who would have thought? Before, it felt weird to wear a mask in public, and now I feel weird if I’m not wearing one. Through all this craziness, I’ve come up with a small list of problems we now have as a society that no one saw coming.
Staying awake in class is nearly impossible under your covers.
Once COVID cases spiked, many universities sent their students home and conducted classes entirely online. Suddenly, millions of young adults found themselves doing college classes and coursework from their childhood bedroom.
“Zoom university,” as it was jokingly called, became the norm. While waking up at 7:58 for an 8:00 a.m. class is certainly nice, being in pajamas in bed while learning college-level material perhaps isn’t the best atmosphere for focusing.
Feeling uncomfortable watching movies where a lot of people are gathered together.
I was watching a movie last night that had a party scene, and I no joke felt uncomfortable—something in my mind was screaming “Six feet! Six feet! Six feet! Masks! Masks!” I almost physically cringed thinking of all the germs that were being passed from person to person. Then I realized this movie was filmed a full 50 years before the name COVID-19 was even a thought in most people’s minds.
Feeling naked when leaving your house without a mask.
Last night I went on a run. As I walked out of my front door, I had the vague feeling that something was missing, and then I realized what it was—my mask. I remember the days when masks in public were optional, and it still felt strange to wear one. Now, I cannot imagine going somewhere and not wearing one.
My college newspaper ran an article this year on “mask fashion.” Who would have thought that phrase would even make sense? Also, the problem of “mask sweat” is something I never even fathomed having to worry about. My school soccer team has to wear masks to be allowed to practice—and let me tell you, doing cardio while you have a piece of fabric restricting your airflow is not a pleasant experience.
Social skills are basically nonexistent.
Because sticking to a close-knit group is the safest thing right now, I hardly interact anymore with people I don’t know really well. And when I do, the results are disastrous.
My witty comebacks and get-to-know-you abilities are very out of practice. The amount of unwanted awkward pauses, word vomit, and stuttering I deal with makes me feel like a middle schooler trying to talk to her crush. Let me tell you, those flashbacks AREN’T wanted. I have truly reached a new level of caveman social skills.
Getting death stares when you let out a single cough in public.
Relax everyone: I just got something stuck in my throat. Additionally, it is unfortunate that the symptoms of COVID are the same symptoms of many other common sicknesses. Back in the summer, I missed a wedding and a white-water rafting trip because I was quarantining due to mild COVID symptoms. Turns out, it was just a sinus infection.
Regardless, strangers around me at the store aren’t the only ones that get scared when I cough once. I myself immediately panic and believe that I’ve contracted the disease, which makes me become hyper-vigilant to every tiny symptom my body may be feeling. Then I wrestle with the decision to cancel all my plans for the next week while I debate going through the long process of quarantining and getting tested or to just let the singular cough and nose sniffle go as a normal winter ailment.
2020 truly has sucked in a myriad of ways, but at least we’re all in it together. We all understand the struggles of these various problems we never imagined having. While I sincerely wish all of 2020’s problems would magically vanish on the first day of 2021, I know that will not happen. But I do know that whatever this new year throws at us, we will adapt and overcome. And, most importantly, we will do it together. Here’s to 2021.
Sincerely, Hannah
Photography: Hannah B.