We took it all for granted

%C2%A0%C2%A0If+a+reader+has+a+strong+opinion+about+an+article%2C+or+simply+wishes+to+ask+the+writer+a+question%2C+then+the+writer%E2%80%99s+contact+information+should+be+listed+at+the+end+of+the+piece.+Bridging+the+divide+between+reader+and+author+allows+for+credibility+to+be+established.

Walter Bowne

  If a reader has a strong opinion about an article, or simply wishes to ask the writer a question, then the writer’s contact information should be listed at the end of the piece. Bridging the divide between reader and author allows for credibility to be established.

Nobody can lie about that.

  Unsatisfaction seems to be a fundamental characteristic in most humans’ minds; whatever we have in the moment, we always want more. While millions of people all over the world die on the streets, searching for remnants of a life, greed-filled billionaires yearn for that measly extra million bucks.

  It doesn’t seem quite fair, does it? Well society has never been built on fairness; it’s all about power, and being in the right place at the right time.

  In an unprecedented turn of events for our modern world, everyone on Earth seems to have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. People who lived a thousand years ago did not have to live in the world we now inhabit. But our generation, the same one that was born as we began a new millenium, has a front-row seat to a worldwide pandemic.

  SARS-CoV-2 (coronavirus), or the disease that it causes, COVID-19, has taken everyday life as we once knew it, and thrown it out the window. Just a few short months ago in November, almost no one in the world was even thinking about the word coronavirus. But now, there have been over 185,000 positive cases of the virus worldwide.

  With so many cases already confirmed, and tons more in the future, one can ask the simple question: “Will life ever be the same again?” At this moment, I’m not sure that anyone has the answer to that question. There’s one thing that is for certain: life will not be the same again for a long time.

  From sports, to education, to social life, there haven’t been many areas of life left untouched by coronavirus. Almost all of the major sports leagues have been suspended with no sign of return. Schools are being shuttered, with many institutions shifting to a remote, electronic style of learning. In the U.S, gatherings of more than ten people are being vehemently discouraged, and many states (including NJ) are instituting mandatory curfews for the general public.

  As the situation deteriorates in the U.S and elsewhere in the world, it doesn’t look as if these restrictions will become any lighter.

  With the ongoing rapid spread of COVID-19, try to remember what is most important in your life. You may think that the statement “Live every day like it’s your last” is cliche and overused, but it’s true, especially in the times we’re in. You might not think about your 94-year-old great-grandparents every day, but they’re suddenly at a much greater risk of death.

  As I stated earlier, unsatisfaction plagues the human mind. But it’s not money I’m talking about. Look at your phone, iPad, computer, whatever device you may have. It’s always there, seemingly whether you want to know it or not. Right now, it lists 10:55. Time is ticking, folks.

  People are always in desire for more time. Whether you’re late for school, procrastinating on that English paper you have due tomorrow, or reaching for those extra ten minutes on the pillow, time is of the essence.

  But with the COVID-19 pandemic raging on, it may be running out. Stop putting things off until a later date, because there may not be a later date. Even if you personally do not succumb to the virus, you may carry it to someone who will. Like it or not, a massive amount of people will die from COVID-19, and their time is as valuable as yours.

  In 2020 and beyond, stop waiting, and start achieving.