COVID Chronicles: Prologue
The biggest lie we tell ourselves is - “I don’t need to write that down, I’ll remember it”. Countless names, numbers, tunes and to-do tasks have spiraled down this familiar yet murky abyss. If I received a dollar each time I was left feeling foolish by my brain, I’d probably shortchange myself. And yet, I continued to place this unfounded trust in myself.
For some, memories are a magical journey they dive into while staring into space when you’re talking about your hobby. For others, it’s like the diary you didn’t choose to keep. For most, it’s a little bit of both. Until a memory erasing machine like the one in The Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind is built, for better or worse, our memories live and die with us.
The world has been through a lot in the last 4 years. Every generation has had their own unique set of experiences in this time. From babies and pets that had not experienced the pre-COVID era, to students that had to watch their teacher on a tiny Zoom window. From young adults working from home and worrying about their parents’s health, to the elders who had to adapt to a rapidly online-first world while making sure they protect themselves from the killer virus.
This paradigm shift has left us here today in 2024 with scars and stories that exemplify both the best and worst of human nature. It reminds me of one of my favorite Linkin Park songs ‘Sharp Edges’ — “Every scar is a story I can tell”. And that’s what I intend to do.
I have decided to put down on digital paper the things I saw, felt & did during the COVID pandemic, for posterity. I want to make sure I can come back to it some time in the future and never forget this event that left an indelible mark on so many lives. To make sure it continues be a guiding light for me, for the days yet to be lived. And it had to be done now, before these pages from the diary turn yellow, tear or disappear altogether.
I leave you with a snapshot from December 31, 2019. The day that China informed the World Health Organization about cases of “pneumonia” from unknown causes detected in Wuhan.
