It’s now been over four years since the collective shared fears among the billions of people on the planet began. The future of us was freakishly unknown. The confidence in our future existence was in question. Millions of people affected in various ways during the years—including death. The fragility of human existence on full display for everyone to see at the same time.
This story is not about the politics of the pandemic, it’s a visual observation—in real time of some of the things that happened. Presented in chronological order.
Note: May be too long for some email subscribers. Read it in-full online via link below if so.
Masks begin to appear as accessories in daily life.
A week or so before the citywide shutdown. Life goes on, but the news is dire.
Some of the usually overcrowded neighborhoods of the city begin transitioning to desolation. A very unfamiliar scene.
The Business District of Manhattan deserted, even for a Saturday afternoon.
An extremely atypical perspective of the Canal Street Shopping District. Eerie!
Bus fare payments halted, enter through the rear doors, wear masks, essential travel. Avoiding each other is the new normal.
Another new normal, the eerie subway system during the day—12:45pm.
The murder of George Floyd ushered in a galvanizing, unrelenting number of citizen activists calling for justice. Not just in the city—but worldwide. The virus couldn’t contain the outrage. Re-energizing the Black Lives Matter movement.
Three months in, and life in the city begins the challenge of living in-spite of the pandemic.
The collective participation of everyone is unifying to a degree, whether voluntary or involuntary.
No matter your socio-economic status, you’re impacted.
New laws enacted to enable “life to go on.” Outdoor street-sheds now the norm for restaurant businesses to survive. Many don’t make it through.
Black Lives Matter rallies and marches continue fighting for justice for those that were viciously killed.
Who could have thought it? Sanitizing the New York City Subway can be a thing.
Eighteen months in, most people have had about as much as they could take. The human condition keeps kicking in, desires and needs heavily outweigh any risk. Now seven months after vaccine distributions began.
Things aren’t the way they used to be. But, no one wants to go back to what they were in 2020.
Getting through the years was tough. Getting over the long-lasting effects is the continuing battle for those who’ve suffered—health-wise, family-wise, job loss, financial loss, and otherwise.
The expression “life goes on,” is a major collective takeaway I’ve observed of the human condition the past four years. Of course, your experiences will be different than this. Though I believe there will be many similarities.
Such suffering is a means to an end—to go on living as best as we can.
Keywords, forever etched in memory. “Pandemic,” “lockdown,” “shutdown,” “six-feet distance,” “work from home,” “hybrid work schedule,” “remote work,” “mask-mandate,” “essential personnel,” “operation warp speed,” “Coronavirus,” “SARs CoV-2,” “CoViD-19.” And, a multitude of others.
Til next time…
Kenneth
.