Hey guys! This content is a little different from my usual banter but his semester, I am taking a course called The Second Wave of The Pandemic: Science and Society with Professor Krista Milich Ph.D. and recently, Dr. Martha Lincoln spoke to our class about collective memory. Specifically, she discussed how the COVID-19 pandemic will be remembered in the future and citing examples of how we currently remember the Vietnam War, The Troubles, and even 9/11, it seems inevitable that like these other defining moments of human history, the coronavirus pandemic may be watered down to yet another plague and dismissed by future generations… Considering the frenzy of the past year, this seems impossible right? Anyway, Dr. Lincoln’s lecture got me thinking about how as historic events become more and more distant in our memory, the emotions associated with them also become detached, making us desensitized to their severity. This past year, I have been journaling and saving short vlogs on my iPhone to document my thoughts and emotions during the coronavirus pandemic. Initially as a way to abate boredom, these snippets of my inner monologue have become a form of self-expression and I have realized that in 30 or 40 years, I may not remember the pandemic too well but I will have my journal entries and snapchat vlogs to serve as fresh memories and reminders of my emotions during one of the most difficult times in my life.
I write all of this to say: I think it’s a good idea to document your life at this time. Of course, the pandemic is nothing less than traumatic. Loved ones are being lost, jobs are being lost, and anxieties are running high. You probably do not want to document the most difficult time in your life. However, individual stories help create the big picture and it may be worthwhile to document your personal history so that it can be added to the world’s collective history in the future. Just a thought.
sylph-glow
