The Future on Pause

A year ago, things largely stopped. Plans carefully detailed and made were thrown out, impossible to do in a pandemic. Conditions were changed, and largely not for the better.

It has really become apparent just how important it is to be able to look forward to something, whether it be a vacation, release of new media, or even just a visit with family or friends. Much of that has just stopped, and the number of things worth counting down the days for has shrunk dramatically.

That, I suspect, is a large part of why the days just seem to blend together without much differentiation. Not leaving the house very often contributes, no doubt. There are certainly some anniversaries, such as birthdays, but virtual celebrations just aren’t the same. Another video call can feel draining rather than celebratory, as if all the fun has been stripped away, leaving only the obligations.

I’m really looking forward to being able to put travel and events back on the calendar without worry that they won’t happen. I long to celebrate the wins of friends in person, and cherish the experiences I share with others.

In many ways, this pandemic has been a reminder of what’s truly important, and just how fragile everything is. My hope is that we’ll take this lesson into consideration as we move forward into whatever future comes after this is all wrapped up to whatever extent it will be.

Only time will tell when that point may be. But everyone I know is sick of the strange glacial slowness and strange featurelessness of this period, punctuated by moments of extreme loss.

I want to look forward to something fun, something freeing. Something that means the future has begun again. I hope we will remember this time and the lives lost as bringing clarity to what’s truly important, and to celebrate the little things that make life worth living and worth anticipating.