WDYT 4/20: What Will We Return To?

In the midst of this world-changing, life-altering pandemic we call COVID-19, it is getting hard to remember what life was actually like before. In the context of our lifetimes, we really haven’t been stuck in our homes that long. However, it has been long enough that we might need to take a moment to try to record a glimpse of what the old normal was.

Most of us are still working from our homes, staying inside except to run out for groceries or take-out, not allowed to go out and do the things we enjoy. This might be a perfect time to think back to what normal was actually like. We read every day that „life will never be the same.“ But what was it actually like?

Do we remember what it was like to have the freedom to go wherever we wanted? Can we recall what it felt like to commute to work on full trains and buses or actually shop offline in real, physical stores filled with anything we could ever want? Is it possible to remind ourselves of the feeling of going to a party, meeting friends, or being in a crowd?

It’s worth noting, Google Trends follows the world’s search activity to get a sense of what people are thinking about. As of today, searches for the term „party“ are at the lowest point since Google started tracking in 2004. No other event has ever brought it this low.

So, while we are sequestered inside the bubble of our houses and apartments, it might be time to think about what we miss the most. How might it feel to get it back? Will it be different? Will we have to move to virtual reality – As a way out of the Crisis? It may also be time to think about those things that may never return. How will we fill the void?

It’s true. Life will never be the same. But what exactly was it like before and, what do we have to look forward to when everything returns to „normal“? What do you think?