Editorial: Seize the moment

In our day-to-day lives, or limited lifestyle shall we call it, since March 13, 2020, it has been so easy to get caught up in the overwhelming fear and anxiety of uncertain outcomes regarding all that has gone on on an international scale.

Each state throughout the United States has taken different measures to manage the safest way to resume life in regards to the COVID-19 outbreak that has taken the world by storm. Watching friends and family across the country view the risks and the impacts of this enigmatic disease through different lenses may feel nerve wracking or downright wrong.

We have seen the impact that this disease has had on everyone’s plans in one way or another. Whether it be a canceled graduation, a rushed flight home from Europe, the inability to visit grandparents or anything big or small — it is evident that COVID-19 has altered each of our lives in some significant way.

But we’ve lived past that. The cancellations. The differences. The adjustments. As the country moves toward phases of returning to “normal,” we are left with uncertainty and the inability to predict what comes next.

While there is no doubt that uncertainty causes a great deal of fear and uneasiness, it is also important to remember the age old adage that uncertainty is the soil in which hope grows.

A global pandemic is not only a scary thing to live through, but for most, it is a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. 

Heartbreak and tragedy aside it is important to recognize that we are currently living through a massive historical event right now. One that will alter the world from here on out, and hopefully for the better.

The same goes for the issues regarding police brutality and race relations within the United States. Over the past 10 days, we have all been forced to dig deep and look at our internal biases, recognize our privilege and set forth ideas for how we want to help to forward the betterment of society from our homes to our communities and beyond.

But therein is an overturning, so to speak, of history.

For many who grew up in the United States, the last time racism is fully spoken about in history classes is the Civil Rights Movement which took place in the 1960s. Our textbooks told us that leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks took a stand for what they believed in, a few laws were changed, and just like that: racism in the United States came to a screeching halt.

While we know that to be far from the truth, for many, the events of the last few weeks forced us to revisit history and how such behaviors persisted past the 1960s and take a look into what parts of U.S. culture have continued to our own lives over 50 years later.  

Some are protesting. Some are reading. Some are donating. Some are writing articles.

All of these behaviors emulate change. A push to become better and to create a more just society.

This is not to say that the anxiety we are all experiencing right now is to be minimized. It is incredibly frustrating to not know when life will return to “normal” and to know if that normalcy is truly the best way for the world to go in the future.

What can be done is to allow yourself to lean into that uncertainty. Think about what opportunities you can find within yourself and your world to improve your surroundings.

When you take a step back and look at the bigger picture, it is almost awe-inspiring. Moments like these are ones you are going to see put into future history books and you’ll find yourself talking about to your grandkids.

So when you find yourself lost in that uncertainty and confusion as to where to go next, remind yourself to grab this moment and use it to better yourself and your world.