Is this one of those moments in history we should chronicle because someone in the future will ask us, “Where were you when Covid-19 spread across the globe?”
I was in elementary school when President Reagan was shot. Our class mailed him a get well card.
Prince Charles and Lady Diana were married on my 9th birthday, so that’s memorable for me.
I experienced the collective shock of the space shuttle Challenger exploding while I was sitting with my friends in class in middle school.
I was a junior in high school when the Berlin Wall came down – we have a piece of it.
I was a young married woman with family in Oklahoma City when Timothy McVeigh blew up the federal building there.
We were living in Colorado and I was pregnant with Max during the Columbine shooting. I sat in front of the TV, tears running down my face and one hand rubbing my belly as I wondered what kind of world we were bringing a child into.
We were living in Indianapolis that crisp fall morning in 2001 when I left for Bible study. Shortly after arriving, I watched in horror on live TV as a plane flew into the 2nd twin tower of the World Trade Center, and then I saw them fall.
There are so many historical touch points and defining moments in our lives. Those were just a handful of mine. Could this be another one? What will people in the future say about this pandemic? Will they ask questions like these?
- What was it like?
- Were you scared?
- Did you blow it off as no big deal at first?
- Did you really quarantine for ___ days?
- What did you do all day?
- What did you do when the stores ran out of necessities?
- How did you ration your toilet paper?
- Did anyone in your family test positive for Covid-19?
- Did you lose anyone close to you due to the virus?
- How did people treat each other? Was it everyone for themselves or were people community-minded?
- Who were the leaders that instilled calm into the chaos and hope into the fear?
I want to record details now to help me remember then. How are you doing with all of this? What’s happening in your family? Your city? Your state? Your country? The collective stories will be memorable because we help make them part of the official record of our time. Write it down. Take photos. Scrapbook or journal things out. Answer the question.
Where were you?
This is an amazing blog post, Niki. I am always happy to read your writing as it always touches me and makes me think! Hope you and your family are well, and continue to be! Suzette
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Thank you, Suzette! Hoping you and your family are healthy and hopeful during these scary days!
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