COVID-19: a Lesson in Privilege
Just a few short months ago, we were busy soaking up our last moments of living in il bel paese, eating delicious Neapolitan pizza and devouring all the gelato and pastries our stomachs could handle. Ticking off Rome, Milan and Naples from our list and mourning over the end of our time travelling around one of the most beautiful parts of the world. We gave very little thought to the new virus that was, at the time, wreaking havoc in China. I think, like most people, we assumed it wouldn’t affect us in Europe/ North America.
One week later, with tears pouring down my face, the plane taxied down the runway, taking us to Augusta, GA. A serious downgrade from the pretty little Italian town we had become accustomed to. Nevertheless, we were trying to look ahead to our next adventure. New places to travel, new food to try and people to meet. Little did we know, none of this would actually happen. Only 2 weeks after receiving our household goods, Coronavirus began to take a serious hold in America and a shelter in place order was issued, the future becoming very uncertain.
This has been a trying time for all of us. Being restricted to certain places, unable to leave our homes freely and unable to see family and friends takes a toll on everyone’s mental health. I am fortunate to be isolating with my husband but some people are not so lucky and have found themselves alone. During the past few weeks and months, we’ve all suffered through the disappointment of cancelled plans and boredom. Some have lost their jobs and, more serious yet, others have sadly contracted the virus, with hundreds of thousands of those succumbing to the illness.
The global effect of coronavirus means it clearly hasn’t been a very positive time. We haven’t been able to cheer ourselves up over a glass of wine and dinner with friends, distract ourselves by planning our next vacation, or even motivating ourselves to do an at home workout by thinking about getting summer body ready. There has been one thing and one thing alone to think about: Coronavirus.
All the sitting around feeling sorry for myself and thinking about the things I so wished I could’ve been doing got me thinking about how privileged my pre-pandemic life was. I didn’t worry about my health and the health of friends and family. For a lot of us, this is the first time we have had this worry. We find ourselves trying not to touch things in the supermarket, creating innovative ways to open doors without touching the handle. My husband has hearing loss and struggles to understand people through their muffled face mask. This is unchartered territory for me and it has made me realise how truly fortunate I am to be healthy and to not usually have to worry about these things.
My bitter disappointment at the improbability of a summer vacation also shows how lucky I am to have always had these opportunities to travel. I have seen some incredible places in my 23 years on this planet, and I am aware that many others have not had these same chances. It is a stark reminder to not take those experiences for granted. I have also been fortunate to share these trips with friends and family. I am lucky to have people to miss when I feel isolated from everyone across the pond.
Coronavirus has provided us with a perfect opportunity to look at the society we live in and the things that make us happy. We often get so caught up in the daily grind that we don’t think to stop and look around. The period of lockdown has forced us to be grateful for the little things, and stop craving more and more. I think these lessons in gratitude are something we must endeavour to take with us into post-coronavirus life. We have learned not to take for granted the company of our family and friends and the rich experiences our lives are usually so full of. We must not forget this.
