Unprecedented. Challenging. Uncertain. Never have I heard these words used more frequently than in the past few weeks. All of those words ring true in this first week of April, 2020. The Coronavirus, or COVID-19, has upended the world as we know it and things are changing day by day and week by week. It’s hard to know what will happen next. Unprecedented. Challenging. Uncertain.
On top of it all, none of us have been through anything like this in our lifetime. Yes, the major happenings of WWII and the great depression of the 30s made huge impacts on the lives of Americans, but to those of us in younger generations, this new virus has affected us more than anything else has as a whole. Unprecedented. Challenging. Uncertain.
It’s hard to imagine what the future will look like or how soon it will arrive. Some estimates are that stringent social distancing should continue for somewhere between four and 18 months.
Will we ever go back to the way things were before the social distancing and lockdowns? Will this experience change things making us better or more compassionate to others? Personally, I choose to remain hopeful and optimistic about the future on the other side of this pandemic, but it’s so hard to know what will come. We are in unprecedented, challenging, and uncertain times.
Until we are past all of this, please stay as safe as you can. Practice social distancing, wash your hands and don’t touch your face. It’s the best we can do for now.
Lisa Petty, Editor
Equal Opportunity Employment Journal