Tori Boutin
Jesse Miller
English Composition
20 March 2020
Seeing the Light
Fear is an emotion that large amounts of people, at any age, have encountered at least once in their lifetime. It is something that can push them to fight as hard as they possibly can, or it can deteriorate their confidence and leave their body feeling numb. We connect this to the saying fight or flight meaning you can either stay and give it your all, or you can back down. Let your mind wander and think; what happens if there is an outbreak that changes your life in the matter of seconds? Something that begins to eat away at the world’s population, but at first, everyone looked past, and brushed under the rug. Something that evolved so quickly that once things started shutting down, and the supplies started to diminish, everyone was emerged in this life of panic. Now what if I told you that this was an uncontrollable illness; one of the most virulent versions of a virus that has ever happened during some of our lifetimes? I’m sure you’d go into instant panic, but you’d soon have to find a way to face this challenge, and come out on the other end, stronger than you were before. The outbreaks of both 2020 COVID-19, and the 1918 flu pandemic has left everyone vulnerable to a new life. These are both illnesses that have spread globally and left everyone wondering what the next day is going to bring. With shutting down nonessential businesses, jobs were lost, financial burdens appeared, and families were being split apart due to these unpredictable outbreaks. Something that not a single person has control over, but every person has to face and fight against. It is nerve-racking that each and every life was and still is on the line and these illnesses, have been, and still are in control. Two outbreaks that have uprooted the routines of daily lives, and not only that but have left people behind in constant worry. Regardless of the challenge, facing it is key, and doing so will allow you to understand the meaning behind the life we live. These stressful times allow many to stop and think; as this illness spreads, how can I keep myself, family, and others as safe and healthy as possible? Adjusting to this new life of chaos isn’t easy, and there will be many highs and lows, but it is substantial to look around and find ways in which we can cope with this new, and hopefully temporary, lifestyle.
Everyone has their own unique way in which they go about their day, and as soon as it changes, and you are put into isolation you begin to feel trapped. Looking back at the 1918 flu pandemic, and this new COVID-19 pandemic, the ways in which people handled this change were somewhat different but, in many ways, the emotional and physical burden was very similar. Times are tough, things begin to get stressful, and it’s all due to the fact that this is the first time a majority has experienced a pandemic. Emily, a current freshman at UNE, wrote a narrative about the things she has learned while living through this pandemic. She goes in depth about how impactful this pandemic has become and how fast it has grown. She has learned a lot about what she relied on and how much the absence of these things has affected her. When she wrote her narrative, she went on and stated that “I learned how much I depended on the school environment, not only for my friends to keep me occupied, but to work together to keep motivated and finish assignments” (Taylor). To me, a healthy and safe school environment is a crucial component of a student’s life. At UNE we’re given an environment at which we can nurture and grow emotionally, behaviorally, and academically; all while building long lasting friendships. The structure and stability of this environment is what allows us students to excel in our academics, and we don’t realize it until we have that empty space in our lives. It’s the fact that we no longer walk and talk in between classes, use meals as a break or pause in our day, or meet with study groups to get work done efficiently and on time. Things tend to get rough and bumpy because we’ve never really experienced this change before. The absence of structure, friend groups, and the classroom space is a tough aspect to adjust to but finding things in replace of it could be very beneficial. I know that at home I have built a new desk to allow for better organization and have been facetiming and communicating with friends to still get that aspect of socialization. It isn’t an easy adjustment, but the quicker we work together, and participate in slowing down the spread of this illness, the quicker we can get back on our feet, and feel as though we have reached level grounds.
People are beginning to open their eyes to the fact that life won’t be the same anymore, and adjustments need to be made. No matter the outcome, the extent at which these outbreaks have occurred, have impacted our population tremendously. People are beginning to suffer in isolation because they are struggling trying to handle the loss2q of family, socialization, work, and essential supplies. The point of the matter is that adjusting to this new, chaotic, but utterly simple lifestyle is more than difficult. In my eyes, family is my go-to, and doing my best in regard to making sure they’re okay has been very difficult and I can’t imagine what it is like for other people as well. Whether they are surviving and healthy or struggling and ill, or anywhere else in between, everything becomes much more difficult, mentally and physically, when there is this barrier between each member. Ashley Nault, someone who is living through COVID 19 expresses her feelings and states that “This Pandemic has made me realize how important it is to make sure your family members are okay and have what they need” (Nault). This to me is spot on, because family is key, and without them we wouldn’t be the people we are today. Helping them stay healthy without even being there is terribly difficult, but even checking in on them every once in a while, is important. Understanding the importance of family is much easier when the availability of contact is ripped away. You begin to notice that you need to use all of your efforts in order to make sure they’re alive and healthy. Ashley, and I’m sure a bunch of others, have taken a family member or more into account and realized the profound respect and place of importance these people have in their hearts. It certainly isn’t easy, but it is one of those adjustments that is needed in order to live our lives a little more at ease.
While yes, adjusting to this chaotic life isn’t exactly what we planned for, I find that we tend to lose sight of exactly how lucky we may be. What would life be like without all of our advanced technology or fast reaction to this outbreak? What would our fight be like without the medical equipment given to us in order to test this raging illness, or even better yet, safety equipment made in order to keep us safe when coming into contact with others. Life without these things is something we wouldn’t even consider, but people who lived through the 1918 flu pandemic can reassure us how difficult it is living with these absences. More than a century ago one third of the world’s population was affected by this flu outbreak and about 50 million people died. Yes, our numbers are high right now, but compared to a century ago it can be looked at as if it’s a crumb that has been swept under the carpet. We have the technology, we focus on sanitation, and we are conquering this one day at a time. Times were different back then and all they had was time; feeling as though they were hopeless and just watching it make its impact but vanish over time. The rate at which people were dying back then was absurd and there was no quick fix or way to prevent it. Linda Krause shares her mother’s story from the 1918 flu pandemic and explains that the increase in deaths left them with little room for the dead bodies to rest. She explains this awful situation and states that “one school was put to another useful purpose- displaying the recently deceased. The window shades of the school were kept closed as bodies in coffins were brought into the school… one window shade would be pulled up and a body in its coffin would be shown, propped–up in the window for viewing” (Krause). Times back then weren’t exactly all about sanitation and if it was maybe things would have been different. It amazes me looking back at the extreme adjustments they had to make in order to keep the infected and deceased bodies away from the ones either recovering or staying healthy. When times get tough, thinking of an alternative is a way of pushing through and persevering. Adjusting and living through that time wasn’t anywhere close to easy but looking at how far we’ve come due to those adjustments is eye opening.
Overall, it is no one decision to live through either of these pandemics, but our actions, adjustments, outlooks, and fight are what have allowed them to slow down or come to an end. Looking back and reading narratives by people who have lived through either pandemic is heart wrenching but seeing how far we have come since then just due to our adjustments is mind blowing. Living through this I have learned that adjusting is a major part in this recovery, but to add to that is also adapting; finding ways in which we can work with this altered life. Throughout these times we feel every emotion possible and all we want for ourselves, family, and the people around us is to see the light coming at the end of the tunnel. Adjusting and adapting to this never before seen lifestyle isn’t at all easy but knowing the outcome that lies ahead is giving us all that extra push. With these pandemics being two of the most vigorous viruses during an individual’s lifetime, we have learned a lot about persevering, fighting, and doing everything we can to come out on the other end. These two pandemics have thrown many challenges at a variety of different people, but the ones who keep their head up and walk through it with a purpose, one step at a time, are the ones who can come out with an incredible story stronger than they were before.
Works Cited
Krause, Linda. Plantings. Pandemic Influenza Storybook. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/publications/panflu/stories/survived_gregory.html
Nault, Ashley. What I’m Learning
Taylor, Emily. What I’m Learning.
