The month of March in the year 2020 will remain memorable to every American for years to come. From the lows of the great toilet paper shortage to the highs of Dogface, an internet hero skateboarding to Fleetwood Mac. It goes without saying that the Covid era will be an interesting chapter in future history books.
Personally, the reality of the Covid-19 virus set in on March 16, 2020. I had just finished a brunch shift at the bar I worked at when I got group text message from my boss telling all of her employees our doors would be closing indefinitely. One could very easily say I was in the wrong field at the wrong time. As many know, the Service Industry has taken an extremely hard hit directly linked to the virus.
After that day, the biggest change I have faced, just like many others, has been the decline of my daily social interactions. A large part of working behind the bar is interacting with customers and forming a momentary bond with them. Not having that daily exchange was very challenging at first but I found different ways to occupy my time.
In the far future my story will not be one that stands out from the millions of millennials in the same shoes as me. Although individually they will not be outstanding, our stories collectively will leave an enormous mark in recent history. We will be remembered as resilient, strong, and what I think is most notable, kind to our neighbors in need. Speaking specifically on my generation, we have dealt with such a number of global and national shocks. I would also say we, for the most part, handled all of them very well.
As I said before, my story will not be one that goes down in history books. My family will be the ones keeping my story alive. Just by me existing they are able to get some insight into the life of a young bartender. One who was doing very well for themselves before Covid. Good or bad, they will remember because they are my family. It is not only important to pass down stories to preserve history and to remember the people who came before us, but also to take any lessons we can from their lives.
March 2020 is over and I wholeheartedly believe we are all better for having been through it.