Having been less than a week old when terrorists attacked the heart of our nation on September 11th, 2001, no historical event I can remember in my life compares to the COVID-19 pandemic. I appreciate anyone who takes the time to read what I have to say because I am no medical expert, just a kid who still has to figure some stuff out.
At a high stress time in our proud country, belligerent partisanship has made the past few months even more of a nightmare. From what I have observed both sides of the ticket look to be contradicting themselves on what our plan moving forward should be. As expected, this pandemic leads us not forward, only left and right.
Who do we trust? That has been the most difficult question for me over the past few months. Trying to see through the political alliance some of the “experts” hold near and dear to their hearts can be tricky. The back-and-forth political circus can only be tolerated for so long.
So now the goal should be to stay optimistic about our future. Each passing day gets a little more difficult isolated from the rest of the world. Distractions like sports and entertainment are completely shut down. I miss my Boston Bruins, I really do, but professional sports should not be rushed back at the expense of lives. My personal goal has been to maintain the image that I am relaxed and confident about the situation. Though I might be scared as all hell on the inside, even invisible enemies thrive on panic.
Both of my parents have been working feverishly in their respective occupations, and I pray this will end for their sake. They’ve always worked hard, and now I could argue this might be the hardest they’ve ever had to work. The absolute least I can do is adhere to social distancing guidelines to keep them safe. I’ve run the trail with them all my life, and I could not be more proud of them during this time.
I look forward to the national response when we can finally put an end to this monster. While we won’t be quite as united as we were after 9/11, I will have a new level of pride for my home country and home state of New York. And when we return to normal life again, whenever that may be, keep the ones that kept you safe in your mind and heart. America will rebound, and when the time comes, in the words of American hero Todd Beamer: “Let’s Roll!”