by Ashton Marhevka

Through the chaos of this pandemic, I’ve found myself missing the old life I had where I could go outside and talk to people. I haven’t seen my friends in weeks, and late night phone calls and texts aren’t enough to fill the void of human interaction. The only place I go outside is for work, where I am constantly reminded of the stress everyone is going through. I work at a grocery store, so I witness a lot of panicked shoppers and generally mean people on a regular basis. I have been thanked by my coworkers for coming into work, since many workers at my store have been leaving in waves since this pandemic. I know my job is very high-risk, but I need the money for college, so I am willing to make sacrifices and come into work as long as I keep safe and wear a mask. However, I hate wearing the mask because of how foggy it makes my glasses, even though I know it is necessary to prevent me from getting sick. The CDC says that we must wear masks to help flatten the curve, so I will do my part and help as much as I can. Despite seeing people everywhere doing their part to help out, I can’t help but feel disappointed in how our country has responded to this virus. We have thousands of cases yet refuse to shut down since it will “hurt our economy”. People are more worried about the economy and getting kids back to school as if their health isn’t of any concern. Our country thought that this was a “Chinese virus” and that it would never affect us, but it has. This is not a “Chinese virus”; this pandemic does not discriminate and will take whatever lives it can. Thankfully our government passed laws calling for free coronavirus testing, which could prove a step in the right direction. I hope this shows people to stick together and to be less ignorant, selfish and prejudiced, as there are bigger dangers in the world that will threaten all of humanity if we do not stick together.

JOURNAL: PANDEMIC
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