After nearly five months, nothing has changed drastically. The coronavirus continues tallying deaths and cases at a pace unlike any disease seen in a lifetime.
Outside, the trees rock to the wind’s beat, cars venture their drivers to familiar and unfamiliar roads, and beachgoers enjoy the soft sand and the ocean’s exhale, all while being aware that life must be lived differently for now. People are forced to hide their smiles, too, as if they’re considered offensive to our newfound, shrouded foe.
It’s being coined “The New Normal,” an altered lifestyle that, despite encouraging headlines and historical scientific breakthroughs, fails to beget a silver lining in many folks. It’s a term that, for some reason beyond my reasoning, has morphed into a political statement equal to that of the latter Beatles tracks.
“Normal” is a word with a debatable use. It’s a classification of what seems idealistic or common. The word is like an office’s coffee machine, traffic lights, and front-door handles, shared by all commonly without second thoughts, but it’s a word that lacks substantial truth to its definition.
Something being “normal” is an idea that shouldn’t have incorporated into human life. Normalcy is far from being achieved.
Fires and storms destroy homes, pricy medical bills tamper a family’s finances, and, frankly, people become sick when they least expect. There are unforeseen, unpredictable situations in each corner life provides.
I’m an example of how normalcy is an obscure, unobtainable statue.
Being on the autism spectrum, some of my doctors questioned how I would manage myself in society, partake in activities, and if my disorder could affect me as an adult. All are reasonable concerns, but I’ve now served the Herald and its readers for a full year, something I’m sure several folks didn’t foresee years ago.
My cause, along with many others, proves that society’s notion of “normal” doesn’t exist, and will likely fail to anytime soon.
Life isn’t normal. It’s a journey for humans, not a destination, and this pandemic is another example of how it’s ever-changing when least expected.
I’m not sure how a “new normal” was created. I’m sure it’s possible, but it’s a stretch.
Try finding it, but be cautioned, finding a vaccine for the coronavirus may come first before it’s found, if at all.
ED. NOTE: The author is the editorial assistant at the Cape May County Herald. To contact Conklin, email econklin@cmcherald.com.
