Life after COVID – is it just wishful thinking?

A blogger friend mentioned that they went back to the mall recently for the first time in 16 months. She said, “In many ways, it was less stressful to give things up in 2020 than it has been to add them back in 2021.” Even though I’ve known in principle that this is how my family and friends overseas have been living since March 2020, it still blows my mind at the idea of doing these things for the first time in so long, and wondering how that must feel.

Then I stopped. In shock a little. Because I’ve been avoiding the obvious. Or had my head in the sand, refusing to acknowledge what is the truth! Though I know I’m not the only one. For the last 17 months, we’ve all been talking about “when COVID is over” or “after COVID.” But it is now patently obvious that, due to incompetent governments, selfish or foolish people, misinformation spread by the ignorant, and disinformation spread by unscrupulous, cruel, and corrupt people and organisations, there will be no truly post-COVID world. The vaccines aren’t going to win the battle entirely. They will make a huge difference, but the world seems to have been working against them being as effective as they could have been. What with variants running rampant, and vaccine resistance at unprecedented levels, it’s unlikely that we’ll eliminate the virus in the way that we’ve been able to with other diseases. Not in the short-medium term at least. (What even is “short-term” in terms of a pandemic?) This is what will change our lives forever. Or stop those whose lives have already changed from getting back to “normal.” Normal no longer exists.

Still, the rest of the world, as it sees vaccination rates increase and borders and restrictions open, will feel that their new normal is a welcome freedom. But for those of us in New Zealand, blissfully (by and large) living in our little COVID-free cocoon, it is going to be the opposite. We have spent most of the last 14 months living life as normal, except for a) using an app to scan in when we enter shops, medical centres, buses etc, and b) wearing masks on public transport and flights. And of course, our borders have been closed. But as our economy and society opens up to the rest of the world, as it must eventually, the freedom we enjoy now will disappear. Forever. We’re going to have to get used to wearing masks in more places, even as you – if you live overseas – might find you have to wear them less, and rejoice in that fact. As you get used to meeting up with friends and going to malls and restaurants again, for the first time, we will have to train ourselves to start thinking about risks involved. And as you get used to travelling again, including to our country, we’ll have to get used to travelling with a sense of risk and restrictions. It’s all going to be a loss. One I can see coming, but can do nothing about. A New Zealand lifestyle lost, as imposed on us by the rest of the world. It makes me sad. A little angry. And it is one I am mourning. The life we had. The dreams we once had. Changed forever.

But maybe I need a change of attitude too. Instead of chafing at the bit to escape these shores and visit friends and family and see the world, I need to try and appreciate what we still have, whilst we still have it. Because I know how lucky we have been. And I know that it cannot and will not continue.