Do you often wonder lately during these COVID times if things will ever get back to normal? Or at least to what “normal” was for us prior to this pandemic? I found myself pondering exactly that as I put on a mask tonight just to walk into a restaurant and totally fogged up my sunglasses to the point where I almost walked into a wall.
Life feels so very surreal right now in this world. Summer is almost over and I don’t feel like I’ve even really had one yet. It’s pretty much been staying close to home with the occasional going out to dinner or playing a game of mini golf.
Typically, by this point, I’d already have taken a vacation somewhere for at least a few days with my partner, been to the movie theater countless times, visited Cedar Point at least once (the local amusement park), splashed around in some water park, gone to a professional sporting event like NASCAR or MLB, had a visit from my sister, or travelled to see her in South Carolina, and much more.
As I thought about all this, the waitress arrived at our table and took our drink order speaking through her own facemask, which I honestly had trouble hearing and continue to struggle with quite a bit when others speak through their own masks. I blame that on all that loud music I once listened to constantly in my car years and years ago.
Nevertheless, I sat there and pondered this COVID life, I began to wonder if we were going to become a facemask-based society, even after a successful vaccine has long been circulated? I began to wonder if people will eventually handshake and hug each other again? I began to wonder if our world is going to be filled with far more hypochondriacs and germaphobes than ever before when this virus has long been gone? I began to wonder how many alcoholics and addicts will emerge out of all this? And even found myself wondering how people will act towards each other in general when the pandemic is over, especially when vaccinated people meet unvaccinated people? Will they be amicable towards each other or criticize each other? Will the world require vaccination cards? On and so on my brain fired question after question until I exhausted myself in all that heady thinking.
I honestly have far more questions about the future that lies ahead and sincerely find myself hoping things are far better than the pessimism my mind continues to try to create out of fear from all this unknown. All I know is that I must keep on being myself, now, and in the time to come. Loving everyone unconditionally. Treating everyone equally. Accepting others for who they are, even if their choices are different than my own. And taking it one day at a time of course, like my 12 Step program of recovery taught me long ago.
While the future may look quite bleak at times to me and while it may appear life will never return to any type of normalcy any time soon, I choose to place all my fears of it and my trust to successfully navigate beyond it with God, knowing I’ve made it this far in such a crazy life because of Him.
Long before COVID-19 ever struck, my life was filled with constant upheaval, pain, hardship, and struggle, yet God guided me through it all magnificently. So, regardless of whatever happens in the future, I know I’ll make it through, because God has helped steer me positively through everything else thus far and I know will continue to do so far beyond this pandemic, all the way up to the day I draw my very last breath.
Peace, love, light, and joy,
Andrew Arthur Dawson
