Coronavirus Chronicles: You come back, one year!

Day 366 ...

One year ago today, I blogged about the pandemic for the first time. The last year has held the strange distinction of feeling it went by super quickly and that it was never going to end.

But here we are, more than a year into the pandemic, and I can't help but reflect about how things evolved in the last year. That first month, everyone was so shellshocked by the emerging crisis. Between the lockdowns and the initial reports that the virus was far more infectious than it was, people were genuinely freaked. There were so many unknowns, so a sense of dread and helplessness was natural.

The country needed about a month more of serious measures last spring than we actually had. People got too antsy -- Americans just aren't a patient bunch, and the political climate didn't help. The second wave, and then third and fourth waves, happened and lived up to the worst fears scientists had predicted. 

However, we learned to live with the pandemic. The more we learned about the virus and how it spreads, the more easily it was mitigated. Avoid crowds and confined spaces. Wear a mask. Wash your hands and don't get too near to people for prolonged periods. Shopping became less of an anxious adventure. We made it through a basketball season and a swim season with none of us getting sick -- and barely any of the boys' teammates and teammates' families got sick. Michael and Ben have been going to school two days a week and have stayed safe.

There are things we miss, of course, but we've managed. Masks aren't a big deal -- and I foresee wearing them in crowded places even after the pandemic ends. Not having a cold this past year sure has been nice. 

Alas, not everyone has been as diligent, careful, or thoughtful about the pandemic, hence the big fall and winter waves. I read something interesting that Americans -- the country as a whole -- hadn't experienced real hardship for so long that they couldn't stand it for such a long time. Eventually, simply not being able to hang out and do the fun things you could do in 2019 became too much. Hence, here we are with 550,000 deaths and 30 million cases, when, hell, we should have been better.

Other chaos dominated this past year as well, but the pandemic provided the backdrop of a time we endured, that our children will remember and grow from, and that hopefully taught us lessons for the future.

Yet, on Day 367, I feel hope. I was vaccinated Friday, and besides the relief of getting my first Moderna dose, the organization of the operation at the Salt Palace was a bit inspiring. Here were volunteers making the vaccination process run smoothly, medical personnel administering the shots, and people taking a half-hour from their day to protect not only themselves, but also others though their gained immunity. All this made me optimistic about people -- we may have complained about restrictions and had been less than perfect with our diligence, but we've want this endgame to work. Seeing someone without a mask at a store is rare now, and most people are eager to get the vaccine.

Still, the mask restrictions are set to expire next month, and I'm concerned that, after all the progress that has been made with the vaccine and declining case numbers, that a fifth wave is imminent. We seem to forget lessons faster than we learn them.

That said, the dread and helplessness has mostly dissipated. Everything my family is doing will be enough for us to not feel trapped or pessimistic. I'm looking forward to spring and summer. Swim meets and friends and road trips and sunshine await.

 I also won't forget the lessons from the past year. Some of us, I hope, have emerged better.