The end is near to one of the weirdest semesters I have ever had. Throughout all the change that happened due to the coronavirus, there was still one thing that stayed consistent…lofi hip hop radio. Before english class this semester I never listened to lofi hip hop and since it was played every Monday and Wednesday at 8:40 am I started to vibe with it. Now, whenever I do homework or just want to relax I put it on.
I think this semester has taught us all valuable lessons. Maybe lessons is not the right word though, I would say reminders. For the past month or so I was reminded how important family is and how we sometimes take it for granted. In fact, we take a lot of things for granted. Things so little as walking down an aisle in a grocery store without having to follow a certain arrow or going to get gas for your car and not worrying about your credit card having the virus on it (That is one for my fellow New Jerseyan who does not pump their own gas).
I believe the most important reminder is how much humans crave for social interaction. Before the pandemic, society became complacent. They kept to their own group of friends, yelled at the person driving slow in front of them, or murmured under their breath when they thought someone said something “stupid”. See now they wish they could hear someone say something “stupid” because then that would mean they were having a conversation with someone.
Currently, I walk around my town to get outside and every single person I walk by waves to me hoping I interact with them from across the street. Every car drives by and waves with a smile on their face. One time a car actually honked at me, waved, then smiled as the light turned green and started to drive away. I have never met that person before in my life and it was as if my best friend spotted me as they were driving past.
I hope after the pandemic people keep this energy, this crave to be with one another, this longing to be a community again. Hatred was crushing our society at an all time high and it seemed no one cared about anyone else besides themselves. All the destruction the virus has caused would be even worse if we do not make good come out of it. More than ever our society needs to remember that we need one another, that we rely on one another.
Our Earth is starting to heal. Friendliness is shining through us. A sense of community is rising above hatred. Do not forget these reminders as we become victorious against the corona virus. If we forget, then all that suffering will be for nothing and the suffering will continue.
English 110 Honors Spring 2020 
Kyle,
I loved this post. Not only was it extremely well written, but it was so full of appreciation for humans. I like the sentence ” Maybe lessons is not the right word though, I would say reminders,” because I agree that we haven’t learned anything new, we have just been shown all that we have and take for granted. I enjoyed your last two paragraphs because they were very hopeful for our new world. We have no idea what will happen or when things will begin to be “normal” again, but I also hope that we keep this community together. Overall, this was a very reflective post and led me to think about all of the things I had to be reminded of. Great job this semester and good luck with the last few weeks!
-Katie Graboski
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Kyle, first of all, this was “one of the weirdest semesters” you ever had? I am scared to know what the other ones were like. I really liked reading this though. I can’t relate to not pumping my own gas, but I really can relate to the part about the entire community coming closer together. It’s weird living next to these people for my entire life but never having acknowledged each other until now. I hope it does continue when everything reverts back to normal.
Chris Metzler
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Kyle, OMG I started listening to lofi hip hop radio because of this class too! Seriously, it’s so calming and the perfect music to do work to.
Your post was made really personal through all of the personal examples you included, and it made your writing even more enjoyable to read. What I liked most about your post was your focus on how important it is to continue the acts of kindness and wiser perspectives we are adopting when all of this ends. Unfortunately, it’s a big trend in society to only care about things or fix our destructive behaviors in the midst of the problem. As soon as something passes or new news emerges, we revert back to our old ways. I really hope that this pandemic was a big enough event to be able to have a large impact on our actions even after it ends. I know it sounds crazy to say that this pandemic might not be a “big enough event,” but given how society has acted in previous times, part of me is a little hesitant. Regardless, we should all stay positive, since negative thinking won’t get anyone anywhere. Great post and writing!
– Selma Cemerlic
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