It’s enough to make your head rattle when you fully comprehend the fact that we’re currently living in a time that’s going to go down in the books of human history.
A virus that has already done enough damage to lower our heads in collective sorrow. A virus that will continue to claim many more before we’ve emerged from this collective nightmare.
Books will eventually be written about it, coming from 10,000 different viewpoints and perspectives in which every nook and cranny of the COVID pandemic will be explored: true stories, sensationalized non-fiction, pure fiction, conspiracy theories, you know the drill.
Movies will eventually be produced about it, starring every name actor that has ever collected a Golden Globe or Oscar and who simply wants to add new, shiny gold hardware to their mantle at home. Coming in the fall of 2022, ‘Isolation’, starring Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, and maybe Morgan Freeman if you’re looking for some of that tried and true deep-voiced narration.
Adding to the pile will be a varied mix of TV shows, documentaries, and podcasts. Enough forms of media by enough people trying to feed you their takes on this whole thing that it’ll be like reliving this period in time all over again.
There, that’s my take on life after COVID. But since we’re still right in the thick of it, I think it’s time to highlight all it is that we should be thankful for right now.
I know it isn’t Thanksgiving, and in fact we just had Easter weekend, but seeing as how I’m not a religious man, Easter to me has always kind of been like Thanksgiving; you get together with family over a big meal and stuff yourselves silly while catching up and enjoying each other’s company.
At least, we did before Easter 2020. I have to say, if I were a Yelp reviewer, I’d have to give this year’s holiday a low-end score, something like 1.5 stars.
What’s there to be thankful for, you say? Well, what ISN’T there to be thankful for is perhaps the better question. Think about all that we enjoy as a functioning society in 2020, and then think about if that ALL went away. Are you taking anything for granted?
Here are some things that I’m thankful for right now. These might range from general to oddly specific, but you have to remember that it’s *my* own list and they’re the things that *I* specifically enjoy from day to day that is helping me get by in this crazy life we’re all living right now. My list differs from yours, and yours differs from your friends and neighbours, and so on.
I’m thankful for the people out there who are helping all of us to maintain at least some form of normalcy. I’m talking about the doctors and nurses, and all the health care staff who find themselves on the front lines of this thing. I’m talking about the grocery store owners and staff who are keeping the shelves stocked so that we can continue to provide for ourselves. I’m talking about the restaurants that are still offering takeout and even home delivery in some cases.
I’m thankful for the Internet. I know that sounds very general, but really think about it – if internet services went down across the board, we would be screwed with a capital ‘S’. This pandemic has shown just how reliant we are on the World Wide Web, whether it’s for work, play, and everything in between.
I’m thankful that I still have a job. We in the media have always taken our role in the communities we serve seriously, but this situation has only hardened our resolve that we need to be here for our readers and the public. Reliable, fact-checked news void of any bias has never been more important.
I’m thankful for my air fryer oven. Hey, I said these could be oddly specific. It cooks just about anything in half the time with minimal cleanup. I’m learning how to dehydrate fruit this week!
I’m thankful for streaming services like Netflix and Crave. Movie theaters are basically out of business right now because Hollywood is basically shut down, so entertainment has to come from somewhere, right?
I’m thankful that photography, one of my favorite hobbies that I plan to turn into a side biz, is something that I can still do right now. I might not be able to take family portraits anytime soon (or some tasteful boudoir, oo la la), but nothing’s stopping me from filling a travel mug, hopping in the SUV, and heading out in search of some great wildlife and landscape shots. Find what you can still do safely right now and just jump right in, I say.
Yes, life is different right now and it’ll continue to be different for some time, but if you look at things from another point of view, it isn’t all doom and gloom.
Be safe and be thankful.
For this week, that’s been the Ruttle Report.
