NEVER FORGET 2020-The Year We Lost Our Connection
We must never forget our deep connection to each other.
I cried when I read this story by Peggy Noonan of the Wall Street Journal, as she describes what it might be like to be connected with others again. At the start of 2021, it seems as though there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, and I keep remembering the old joke, “But maybe it’s the light of an oncoming train.”
What we lost in 2020 was our connection to each other, to the world, the creatures of the world, the galaxy, and the universe.
Have you caught the irony of the global pandemic?
It’s ironic: We lost our connection because we’re so interconnected.
Because we could hop on a plane and be at the other end of the world in hours, the virus hopped with us.
Because we could sit close together and feel a connection with performers on a stage or athletes on a field of play, we had to sit in our living rooms in front of our TVs and try to connect by phone.
Because we couldn’t stand around the proverbial water cooler and connect with our colleagues, we had to try to connect with their images on Zoom.
Because we loved our families, we brought the virus with us to family gatherings where we hugged and kissed, and then watched on an iPad while beloved family members died alone.
It’s more than irony; it’s tragedy. That’s why we can’t forget our deep connection with each other. We can’t take it for granted that we will be able to do the things we loved so much BC (Before Coronavirus).
What if you want to forget 2020?
We all understand and sometimes feel the same, that 2020 is too painful to remember. But remembering is essential to our lives. A recent article from the National Institutes of Health explains that “human nature benefits less from past mistakes than it ought to” because remembering is so painful. But we need to remember because “our ability to live our lives depends on our memory and our ability to make informed decisions.”
How will you remember our connection?
Tell your Generation C (the “COVID Generation”) children and grandchildren the stories of 2020. Write your own story. Collect stories from others.
Keep memories of those we lost, those who are suffered and are still suffering from this terrible disease.
Let’s let the mask be the symbol of our loss of connection. Keep a mask hanging around to remind yourself of our loss. Where will you put it?
A final note: We’re not out of this yet.
Stay safe. Try to avoid irrational hope. Stay focused on the long term.
