Tag Archives: pandemic

Reflecting on Pandemic Life – 2 Years Ago From Today and Moving Forward

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I don’t think many people would have ever predicted that they would be living through a pandemic within their lifetime. I know for me personally, it was something that never crossed my mind and now it is a life experience that we can all agree is unforgettable and one that we will remember looking back on for years to come. When I reflect about where I was exactly two years ago on March 15th, 2020–it is a day that I can reflect upon quite vividly. I was on an airplane flying from Arizona back to New Jersey. No one was really wearing masks yet and I was not so concerned about catching the virus but was more nervous about whether I would be able to fly back safely without being in a situation where we would have to be quarantined. Covid-19 was labeled a global pandemic just a few days prior and everything was beginning to shut down. I remember thinking to myself on that plane ride that I cannot get back home to New Jersey fast enough. A few days before my flight, people were encouraging me to cancel my trip altogether but I knew then that it was now or never. I am glad that I followed my instincts because I have not been on an airplane since that date and things progressively had gotten worse as time went on.

In addition to my flight home, I also had a wake to attend later that same afternoon. Everything was normal at that time as a normal wake would be but if it had occurred even a week or two later, I do not know if there would have been a public wake service at all because there was a point where wake and funeral services had to be put on hold or just not occur at all.

Although I had arrived back home safely on March 15th, just two days later on March 17th was when everything had officially shut down in the USA which meant schools, gyms, restaurants, and so much more. It is crazy to think back at that time where everyone was asked to quarantine and stay at home for so many months. It felt like there was a pause button placed on our lives yet we were witnessing on the news day in and day out how many people were suffering throughout the entire world. It was a time of such uncertainty in our lives and impacted every single individual one way or another.

Fast forwarding a full two years to where we are now on March 15th, 2022, I would say that although the pandemic is not officially over, we are finally at a good place where cases are going down and it appears that the virus has become much milder since the initial variant. It is the first time in a really long time that I feel as though we are moving towards a more “normal” life again although it might take many years to ever live a life that was close to our pre-pandemic lives. While the pandemic brought upon us many challenges and misfortunes, I do believe with that comes many life lessons. It was also a time to appreciate some of the simplest joys and to embrace those moments of solitude which might have made people feel lonely at times (myself included). As the pandemic begins to fade away, I look forward to seeing the people that I haven’t seen in a long time and I cannot wait to travel again, even if that means domestically at the present moment. Little by little, things are bound to get better again and we just have to keep looking forward with a positive state of mind.

Why Are People Quitting Their Jobs at Record High Numbers?

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There is no denying that the ongoing pandemic has impacted many people one way or another–both for the good and the bad. One area that has heavily been impacted is one’s employment status. In the very beginning, many people found themselves without a job and might have had to collect unemployment for the very first time in their lives. Many were also furloughed for extended periods of time but eventually were able to be brought back to work. Depending on the industry, there were also people who have been working from home and haven’t set foot into an office since or might be easing back into working in person again just a few days a week. What many would not have anticipated is that while things are slowly getting back to some sort of new normalcy, many people (Americans in particular) are quitting their jobs altogether. I recently had read a statistic that 4.3 million Americans had quit their jobs this past August 2021 which is approximately 3% of the American workforce. While that might not seem too high, it is still alarming considering that this seems to be the new trend and more people are choosing to leave their jobs in its entirety.

One initial factor that comes to mind as to why this is happening could be the vaccine mandate which has put people in a position where they are forced to quit their jobs due to a lack of personal choice. However, surprisingly, this only accounts for a very small percentage of people who have left their jobs. Another thought might be that the generous unemployment benefits that were given out during the pandemic have also made it very easy for people to essentially get paid to stay home as opposed to going back to work. However, these extended pandemic unemployment assistance (PUA) benefits had been terminated in certain states a long time ago or had just ended this past September which means that people are no longer collecting large sums of money from the government anymore. So why are people still choosing to not go back to work?

During these times of uncertainty, I think people have been reflecting on their lives on a much deeper level and have really taken the time to examine what brings personal fulfillment. For many, work has consumed a good majority of life which can leave people to feel burnt out over extended periods of time to the point where people need to find a way to catch a break and there seems to be no better time than right now. I have written in the past about how having a lot of money might seem great but when you don’t have the free time to enjoy life, money does not hold as much value as TIME in my opinion. As I have also recently wrote about, you can always make money but you cannot always make up for lost time–as we all know how fast life passes us by.

Quality of life is essential yet so many people [unfortunately] let their jobs rob them away of this basic need and key to happiness. I think people are realizing now more than ever that quality of life is simply more important than work. While we need a stable job for basic survival, sometimes it just is not worth it if that means losing sleep, added amounts of stress, lack of flexibility, lack of family time, feeling unappreciated, menial wages, and so many other drawbacks. After awhile, enough is enough already.

If people find themselves reaching that breaking point, then yes–it’s time to quit and press the restart button. By restart, I simply mean to consider pursuing a new career path that will ensure intrinsic satisfaction and be in alignment with one’s life purpose. Perhaps restart could mean leaving the work force for an extended period of time to enjoy a hobby, spend quality time with family, or to travel the world. Everyone’s situation is different but at the end of the day, no one should be settling on a miserable work life. It is much better to look into starting over or to take a well deserved break. I think that the pandemic along with the current statistics are consistently showing that more people are coming to this realization and need to figure out a new game plan for life which ultimately is a positive thing.

Election Day 2020 (One Week Away) – 5 Safety Tips for Voting During a Pandemic

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Election Day in the United States is exactly a week away and happens to fall not only during a pandemic but during a time where cases are starting to spike again across the country. Does this mean you should forfeit your opportunity to vote this year in order to stay safe? No way, I don’t think so! What this does mean is that extra safety precautions will be needed for in-person voting or you can choose another voting alternative this year. As much as I enjoy the process of going to a local voting booth to cast my vote, I decided to fill out my ballot and hand deliver it at a drop off box within my community. If you are nervous your vote might not be counted for, there are websites (this varies based on your state) that actually track your vote. In the state of New Jersey where I am from, I created an account and was able to see the exact date my vote was cast. If you do a google search, you should readily be able to find a ballot tracker based on the state you are from.

Now if you are going to still vote in-person, there are a few safety tips to keep in mind to prevent the likelihood of coming in contact with the virus.

Wear Your Mask at All Times – I feel as though this should go without saying but I cannot emphasize the importance of wearing a mask whenever you are in public or places where there are groups of people which includes the voting booths.

Bring A Pen Instead of Using Theirs – There will definitely not be a shortage of pens at the polls and they probably have a way to sanitize them between use but I still would advise bringing your own pen instead to prevent the potential spread of germs.

Clean Your Hands Frequently with Your Own Hand Sanitizer – Although the polls will most likely have plenty of hand sanitizers, I would still recommend being prepared and have your own handy. Of course the less contact your hands are to your surroundings, the better yet it is wise to be prepared to sanitize your hands any time you touch something.

Try to Go During Off Peak Hours – If possible, try to go during times the polls will have less people. If you are in a city, this might be tough to do as it will be inevitable that you will be stuck waiting on line; however, if there are times you can go in which there will be less crowds (usually in the middle of the day while most people are working), then plan to go during these times.

Avoid Socializing and Stay Social Distanced – As much as it is nice to chat with someone while you are in line or talk to someone you ran into who you know, this is not a good time to get too close to someone or to carry on a conversation. It is obviously not personal and people should be understanding given the circumstances.

Reflecting on COVID-19: Events Leading Up to the Shutdown and A Look at Life 2 Months Later

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It is crazy to think that exactly two months ago from today, I was in Arizona visiting my family for a long weekend as the COVID-19 pandemic was escalating at a rapid rate within the United States. Although the thought of cancelling my flight had crossed my mind, I instinctively knew this was probably going to be my last chance to travel for a very long time so I still took my flight as planned. My only real concerns were whether or not they would place a travel ban within the United States in which I would not be able to fly back home to New Jersey or I could potentially be on a plane that would expect me to have to quarantine for fourteen days. With very much left uncertain, anything was possible and I thought either of those scenarios could easily have become the reality.

Within that weekend I was away, the USA announced that there would be a travel ban to and from Europe along with all the Disney locations shutting down by the end of the weekend. I don’t know about you but Disney closing seemed pretty radical considering it is one of the most well known and popular tourist attractions in the entire world. I was also getting constant communication from the high school I work at that there was a chance school needed to be shutdown altogether with a final automated message left on my phone that afternoon, March 13th that all schools were to be closed and begin remote learning that following week. It was rather mind blowing how much change was taken into effect within that short amount of time that I was away.

Needless to say, I never felt so relieved to be back home safely from a flight in my entire life. It was actually one of the fastest flights I ever took from Arizona as I arrived back at the Newark Airport that Sunday morning on March 15th at a record speed of under four hours.

In just a matter of two days, essentially everything that was non-essential was forced to shut down in order to help slow the spread of COVID-19. From state to state, this date might have varied but on Tuesday, March 17th was when everything abruptly had to close its doors in the state of New Jersey. This included places such as gyms, hair salons, venues, and many small businesses. Initially, I think the governor had announced it would only be for a two week period until further notice; however, as I’m writing this a full two months later, most places are still not open and the date in which we can expect a reopening keeps getting pushed back until we can see a dramatic change in the data with a significant decrease of cases within the state of New Jersey.

So what has life been like these past two months? First, I want to start off by saying that I am one of the lucky ones and I wholeheartedly recognize that. I have not been majorly impacted in any way compared to what I see on the news with people financially struggling to pay their rent or put food on the table. I am also not working the front lines which increases the risk of contracting the virus and I have not experienced COVID-19 or have had a close family member get infected.

I think everyone’s personal situation and how they are coping will vary but for myself personally, I have been managing quite well. Although I am home most of the time, I find plenty of ways to keep busy while also staying connected with the people I care about most. Of course I miss seeing people and being a part of social gatherings but I know there is a time and a place for that and just have to be patient until that time comes. Until then, I want to continue to practice social distancing to protect myself and others. I want to end here by encouraging others to do the same right now in order to help stop the spread of COVID-19. I believe if we all come together and do our part, the closer we are towards transitioning back to a normal way of life, even if that means that it will be a “new normal.” As the saying goes, “We are all in this together.”