Here is How 2020 Has Changed a Lot of Common Things

If we wanted to look at the calendar and see what the most challenging year in the 21st Century is it would be 2020. Our common activities this year have either been altered for pandemic guidelines or canceled all together, things like this ranged from concerts to charity events that help out non-profit organizations. Everywhere you look you see essential workers like me and everyone in public with a mask on to stay safe from the novel Coronavirus flu strain, I spent the majority of months just wishing that I could show a smile while making a community difference and see other people do the same thing like in normal times. But as we know a new world and a new way came and now what is known as the “new normal“ is in effect.

It was crazy when the pandemic began in March and ever since then we have had to adjust to something different that none of us remember doing in previous years. I remember the H1N1 swine flu in 2009 but we didn’t shut the whole country down and start a mask requirement and social distancing restrictions. Everything about the words quarantine and other terms were new to everyone while we started seeing “6 FT Apart” signs with a distance between two people guided by a line going across the floor. We saw restaurants implement the same thing by spacing tables and chairs out to be within guidelines, it was something different and in time we got used to it. I can admit I have not been to a sit-down restaurant for lunch or dinner since all of this began and have resorted to carry out and cooking at home.

In the education sector schools and colleges had to find ways to get creative on the way they conduct classes and hold meetings with students. Zoom has been a popular choice to use for this to make conference calls with classes. Events have been finding ways to hold virtual versions of certain things like fundraisers and other things involving a community gathering. Through this I have seen not only local streams but also ones from across the world that are similar to what would be held in person.

Hopefully soon we can get back to normal times when we head into 2021. I can’t wait for New Years.

-Tristan