So, we’ve done it—we’ve ploughed our way through the nightmare that has inflicted our lives during two treacherous years. Now with the first week of classes looming around the corner, what kind of feelings are students having about it all? There must be a mixture of everything—anger, distrust, fear, certainly hope.
I’ve written many times about how human beings can get used to almost anything, no matter how difficult a situation may seem. We may act childish and kick and scream and throw some tantrums, but eventually when realizing there is no choice in the matter, usually resilience, strength, and fortitude come through, which is what I believe happened during the pandemic. People panicked, believing the apocalypse was coming, and also chose to believe that in said apocalypse the first thing we would miss was toilet paper. Wars were waged in grocery aisles; rules and restrictions that many felt were unreasonable or showed signs of totalitarian rule to be on its way to Canada were made. Yet the main thing I saw was camaraderie, where even if people could not socialize in the way they were accustomed to, they still moved ahead, showing support for frontline workers with hearts on windows, indulged in outside picnics and delivery dining, and took part in an abundance of Zoom calls, trying desperately to have strength persevere over the sadness which plagued us all.
Throughout history, things change—they will move along at a comfortable lull for a while, and then suddenly something comes to shake things up a bit; maybe an outspoken young environmentalist or a brazen politician or two, and we take it in stride with the usual nod of acknowledgment, seriousness, discussion, and doses of comedy. The pandemic was a very different situation, so serious and frightening that it was actually unbelievable. No one ever imagined it would take over the world with such ferocity, or last as long as it has. It was the plot of a science-fiction novel, not real life.
But we’ve managed. The human race really needs to give itself a giant pat on the back for the resilience that has prevailed. For students coming back to campus—whether it’s for the first time or for the last time—it’s a giant leap back to a world which we had to leave so very suddenly almost two years ago. It will be frightening for some, exciting for all, and, like anything human beings do, we will adapt, probably far more quickly than we anticipate. It’s true there are the possibilities of consequences, but no one ever moved forward by staying still.
It’s time to set new roots and see the growth begin.