Memoir
/ˈmemˌwär/ noun. a record of events written by a person having intimate knowledge of them and based on personal observation. Usually memoirs. an account of one's personal life and experiences; autobiography. the published record of the proceedings of a group or organization, as of a learned society.
Wow, only three more prompts left! I couldn’t let Memoir Monday go by without the opportunity of addressing the most life-changing event of our generation, the Covid-19 Pandemic. I think most of you will agree that absolute everything is different now. It was an interesting thought-exercise to consider everything I miss. What do you miss? The answer to this question will surely open a flood-gate of memories and some mourning for the world that we’ve lost. More importantly, your answers to next week’s Memoir Monday prompt will serve as a bellwether to future generations. This is something we didn’t have the luxury of. There weren’t many personal accounts of the Spanish Flu Pandemic that survived. Let’s make sure this isn’t the case with the Covid-19 Pandemic. Share your thoughts, memories, and feelings.
Memoir Monday has grown so much that I won’t be able to comment on everyone’s posts anymore (and get my own work done) but I’ll still be supporting your posts with reblogs, votes, and shares on my other social media accounts (X, Facebook, etc.).
For all of those who’ve regularly participated in Memoir Monday - keep going, you’re making great progress in chronicling your very own life story for future generations to enjoy.
For those who missed the inaugural post explaining what the Memoir Monday initiative is all about you can find it here.
Now for next week’s Memoir Monday prompt:
What Do You Miss About the Pre-Pandemic World?
My answer:
Just about anyone who lived through the Covid-19 pandemic of 2019-2021 would probably agree that almost nothing feels the same now. It’s difficult to put into words. When I look back at my past memories now I think of them in terms of BC/before Covid and AC/after Covid because there’s just such a distinct bifurcation between those two time periods. It feels like we’re on a completely different timeline now.
What do I miss about the pre-pandemic world? The better question might be -- Where do I begin?
I miss the presence of my father — his unique view of the world, the smell of his chewing tobacco, his laugh, buying him presents, laughing with him, our visits, and talks on the phone.
Spontaneous, unhurried time with friends. Friendships feel different now. Making plans is like scheduling a business meeting—full of reschedules, cancellations, and strict time limits. Gone are the days of effortless hangouts. And fewer people seem to value socializing the way they once did.
At least a smidgeon of trust that the government, media, and medical establishment are looking out for our best interest. So much about what we were told about the pandemic has been proven to be wrong it will be difficult to ever have any level of trust again. My opinion of how this pandemic was dealt with falls somewhere between ineptitude and predatory.
Life without constant worry. I remember elderly folks from my childhood—people who lived through the Great Depression. They saved obsessively, distrusted banks, and stockpiled essentials. They always seemed braced for the next crisis. Now, our generation carries its own version of that anxiety. The pandemic years left scars that aren’t fading anytime soon.
Thriving small, local businesses. The decade before the pandemic was the golden era of the American small business. I really enjoyed frequenting local restaurants and shops because you could feel the pride emminating from the owners and employees. This has become more and more rare as inflation and rents have skyrocketed.
Travel. Since I was a boy it was always my dream to travel the world. Between 2016 and 2019 I was lucky enough to see a lot of the world. Although it’s my plan to eventually resume I feel like the rhythm of of my travels were disrupted and it seems difficult to get back into the groove.
An undivided world. Our post Pandemic world is now much more divided and extreme. I feel that prior to late-2019 people’s opinions generally were more moderate. Now everyone has chosen a side and is an expert, are more easily triggered, and seems itching for an argument or to sway others to believe their opinions.
Good customer service. It seems rare to have a good experience when interfacing with any employee now. The customer service experience everywhere seems to have trended more in the direction of disgruntled and snarky than friendly and helpful. I’m thrilled these days if a cashier even makes small talk. That’s a pretty low bar.
I’m certain there are lots of things I’ve left out but this will give you the gist. Will the world ever go back to how it was before? I think, perhaps, the answer to that question might lie within each and every one of us.
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Excellent proposal and a good occasion to express our points of view, after having lived or survived such a lethal problem.
I do not want to dwell too much on the response to your publication because some of the elements could be part of my writing this week and I do not want to repeat myself.
I consider that, we still do not know how happy we were with so little and if we are consistent with this week's theme that talks about the pleasures that make us happy then we will understand that continuing with arrogant ways does not help us at all.
It is said that several people brought out the worst of them as human beings, I consider that they revealed themselves as they are because people prove their character in the worst conditions.
This was a very hard stage, but of many lessons learned: we must apply them once and for all.
Thank you for sharing.
Happy week.
Cheers and greetings.
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Thanks You. Blessings
Thank you! I felt no memoir would be complete without people writing about this topic. The stories will be very helpful to our ancestors in the future. I hope you have a fantastic week @tonyes!
You pretty well covered how I also feel, now I will now need to find other things to write about.
There can be overlap in answers, no worries about that! I'm sure you'll phrase it a little different than I did. When writing my memoir posts I try to envision speaking to future members of my family and write for that audience.
Thank you but I already wrote it.
I write for my grandkids and maybe even their kids to know who I was and my day to day life so they can compare it to the world they now live in.
and the mental boycott! the fear of dying, left-wing and right-wing vaccines, the mask, the antibacterial gel, hot water with lemon. Once vaccinated came the bombardment of news that the antidote was worse than the disease. It was not easy, fortunately, we lived to tell the tale.
Yes, all those things! The toilet paper shortages, dry and cracked skin from all of the hand sanitizer, I could go on and on. For sure, those of us who survived were the lucky ones!
I came to your post by chance and immediately my memories, passed like a movie of a bittersweet experience that allowed me to understand the magnitude of how this event changed the world.
When you pose the question: would the world go back to the way it was before? from my point of view NO; fear changed humanity, the pandemic put death in front of our eyes and sat on the couch of many homes and hospitals to show us that uncertainty is what has set the tone in the past-present-future.
Greed and power took center stage.
I very much agree. Since writing this post I see the entire pandemic differently. This is the power of memoirs. It's almost as though humanity was destined to go through something that horrific to wake them up and wake us many of us up it did. It's just sad that we had to lose so much for that lesson.
I agree with a lot of what you said here. As soon as I saw the topic my first thought was people not being so divided with each other or downright stupid. Then I got thinking about it and honestly, those attitudes and feelings were probably always there, but Covid brought them to the forefront. Is it better that we know people's true colors now?... I don't know!
I agree that a certain amount of people probably felt that way all along and just didn't feel empowered enough to show that side of themselves to the world. But I also think a larger number of people were manipulated and their beliefs were amplified by disinformation and social engineering. It was a crazy time period to live through, that's for sure!
Yeah, that is probably true for a number of people.
I knew your father would be at the top of that list! And I'll tell you a secret, I was one of the many people who believed that all this was part of a master plan, of the great powers, to put fear, but when I saw that people close to me died, I felt in front of me that fear chilled my bones. I will do catharsis this week, because I feel that I changed 100% and it was not because of me, but because I wanted to help other people. A good topic, Eric. A hug
He was the first one I thought of as I was writing this! I wish I could say I saw through the false narrative of the pandemic at first but I was among those who believed the story we were being fed. I regret that greatly. What a horrific time it was to live through! I'm looking forward to your entry this week, Nancy! It's hard to believe we only have three weeks left. Enjoy what's left of your Sunday my friend! Are you feeling the earthquake that happened in the Caribbean yesterday? A good friend of mine is in the Dominican Republic and said the beaches were shut down today.
No, thank God! I live in an area of Venezuela where hurricanes “die”, so they say. It is a kind of coast that makes the sea calm and not so “fierce”. Thanks for your concern, my friend. A hug and a good Sunday
I'm glad to hear that. My friend in the Dominican dodged it also and had a good beach day yesterday. Have a good week!
Good night my brother and good luck to us tonight.Some time ago I saw on the television news that there had been quite a serious fire in the California area.And now I want to ask if you are okay there or if the place where the fire is far from where you are.Always healthy, hoping that you are in good condition and always healthy.Greetings to you and also greetings to the family.
During the pandemic period around 2020 where it looks like the world is been turned upside down. Sometimes I usually wish if life can really be free from worries completely
It is a very interesting topic, everyone remembers it during the time of Corona and here I also want to share some special things, so I will make my post soon on this topic.
Sharing on Twitter.
That is a great topic to talk about and I am agree with you!
!BBH !PIZZA
#hive #posh
It is true that a special susceptibility remained after this pandemic and in many cases a habituation to confinement.
This is my contribution
https://peakd.com/hive-106316/@charjaim/memoir-monday-49what-i-miss-from-before-the-pandemic
$PIZZA slices delivered:
@irisworld(2/5) tipped @ericvancewalton
Those days of the pandemic were very hard. I never thought our way of life could change so drastically in a matter of hours. In those days I reflected a lot on human frailty and on our arrogance as a species. Thank you for the call, dear @ericvancewalton . A big hug from Maracay.
A bit late!
https://peakd.com/hive-106316/@owasco/what-i-miss-most-memoir-monday-49