05 April 2020

New Normal


In the late 2018, I asked one of my best friends to make a promise that we would meet each other at least once a month in 2019. The reason I wanted to do so was because I had this thought that one day each of us would get married to our partners, which I assumed would make it diffifcult for us to meet. Besides, because of work, I expected there would be a chance of moving to another city; so since both of us resided in Jabodetabek area, it was easier for us to arrange a meet up. It did not have to be at cute cafes or fancy restaurants; it could be us visiting each other at home or going to our friends’ weddings together. The point was we had to physically meet to catch up with each other’s life. Fortunately, it went smooth last year and we could live up to our promise. We still continued to meet each other in January and February of 2020, but it did not happen in March, and probably in the upcoming months as well.


Going back to my initial reasons: marriage or moving out of the city; neither happened to us. Instead, something bigger and more concerning that none of us was prepared for took place and smashed all of our plans. Since the coronavirus pandemic started and we were instructed to do self quarantine and work from home, I have not met anyone other than my family. To be honest, I have been enjoying staying at home for the last three weeks, but there were times I realized how often I took things for granted. I am not a very social person, so gathering with a big group of people is not really my thing. But oh boy do I miss going out to see my friends and other family members more than ever.

This “new normal” situation is slowly eating me up inside; not because I am getting bored at home, but because of these should haves I have in my mind. I should have done this… I should have done that… before this pandemic begun. Too bad I can’t turn back the time; no one can. Maybe, other than my best friend I talked about earlier, I should make a promise with myself too. I should not dismiss or disregard social gatherings or physical meet ups in the future, for I don’t know when life would offer its twists and turns again.

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