In the Middle
Last year, I read the book September 1918, which details that month in 1918 when baseball players were gearing up to strike, the United States was deep in World War I, and the 1918 pandemic was about to erupt, taking an estimated 45,000 lives in Massachusetts alone. Not unlike today, the early days of pandemic in the US were marred by misinformation and a lack of government leadership. Newspapers were told by the government that it would be anti-patriotic to publish accurate information about deaths, especially the deaths of soldiers at Fort Devens. Some people wore masks, but many did not. People were told the “flu” that was rumored to swiftly kill was just like most any flu, and that “our boys” were tough and would be fine.
As was the case in 1918, our society shut down a few months after the pandemic began. In 1918, Liberty Bond parades were eventually cancelled and schools closed, but not until thousands had died. As was similar to then, some people rejected reality or refused to sacrifice for the greater good, trying to continue living as they had before. In 2020 and 2021, people protest wearing masks. Although some are scared, many are upset that the government put us into lockdown, closed borders, and restricted travel to prevent more deaths. In Maine, once full lockdown ended, out-of-state travel required a two-week quarantine upon returning. So for those of us whose family live in a different state, it was a huge sacrifice to forego holiday gatherings even when you could wear a mask and stay outside the whole time because it meant working from home and keeping kids home from hybrid school, the little socialization they still had.
Educationally speaking, we all pivoted to rely on Zoom or Google Meets to continue working from home, checking in with one another, and learning to rely solely on technology to communicate with anyone outside our homes. We all learned more about our own social needs and the importance of our social systems, like public schools. We are at least fortunate to have digital tools to find ways to stay connected to those around the globe and in our more immediate social circles.
Aside from work-related digital tools, a few things got me through this time. I played Board Game Arena with friends as well as with people around the world, day or night. I learned that sharing a meal and conversation with friends in person is a thousand times better, even though it means investing time to clean the house and cook a meal. Hosting Zoom nights with friends was so important, too, and most of the time, everyone could attend cause what else was there to do? Streaming services, of course, were important to my family and me, and we watched nightly, finding shows like the new Lost in Space to be particularly pertinent to our current situation. It also helped knowing that everyone was experiencing feelings of isolation and wanted to interact and process our new reality. We liked to watch celebs who were filming segments from their homes or backyards, especially “Some Good News” with John Krasinski. Seeing people who are usually so polished negotiating Zoom issues or just looking ordinary and stressed was a welcome change, and watching celebrities come together to celebrate cancelled special occasions (like proms and attending a Broadway show) was heartening. Although I hope we never need to go through this again, I am increasingly thankful that we have technology to help us. I know there will be fallout, but I cannot for a second imagine living through this in 1918.
