I think all of us living in America right now need to reconcile with the fact that there is no normal to return to for the rest of this year. The pandemic has yet to abate in this great country of ours, and in many regions the case numbers show it’s getting worse. Right here in San Francisco the Mayor have put a pause on the reopening plans, and this week Harvard announced their Fall semester will be completely online. That big Christopher Nolan movie - Tenet - that’s schedule to come on in theatres mid August? I don’t see a chance it’ll make that date; no way we’d be ready to be packed into a theatre by that time - it’s too risky.
As the calendar flips over its pages and you hope the situation we’ve found ourselves in since mid March will soon be over, the end horizon simply keeps stretching further and further. It’s as frustrating to me as I am sure it is for everyone else, compounded by the fact we can clearly see other countries that dealt with the coronavirus more properly than we did getting to enjoy the fruits of their persistence. Formula One is back, and my relatives in China tell me that life for them have largely resumed as before, aside from the constant temperature checks when entering buildings.
Why can’t we have nice things? Some days it’s difficult to resign to the reality that the United States have played the same hand so utterly poorly. I’m afraid we’re going to be in continued lockdown for the rest of 2020 while looking out forlornly at the rest of world returning to a significant semblance of normalcy. The hopes of being home free by the time autumn rolls around is likely gone, and honestly that’s a tough pill to swallow when there’s glaring comparisons pointing out that it definitely did not have to be this way.
No doubt, this too shall past; just probably not anytime soon. It’s really no use being disappointed that each passing day seems to bring no relief or end; we have to stay focused on improving ourselves during this time and prepare for the day when we are able to go back to our pre-COVID lives. That day will come, so don’t despair that it hasn’t yet.
Rollercoaster ride.