ArcaMax

National Public Radio recently posted a questionnaire on its website asking readers to reflect on their experiences when the COVID-19 pandemic shut everything down in 2020. For those who were able to quickly resume their usual routines after the World Health Organization announced an end to the pandemic in May 2023, the time probably passed quickly. For those who experienced grave losses, such as employment termination or the deaths of close relatives, the pandemic has had a severe lingering effect.

Most of the questions on the NPR survey did not apply to me, such as "Did you meet your significant other during the pandemic?" or "If you own (a small business), how is it going now?" I'm sure this has been the case for many others who read NPR's online request. However, I thought it was a great idea to pause for the upcoming five-year COVID-19 anniversary and look back on how our lives have changed. In a 2021 column, I shared with readers that I went to Cincinnati's National Underground Railroad Freedom Center on a Saturday field trip with Ohio State University's Lima staff, students and faculty before COVID-19 hit. We spent the day enjoying the museum's historical exhibits in addition to learning about its current chronicling of modern-day slavery in the form of sex trafficking. After our Freedom Center outing, we went to Cincinnati's famous Montgomery Inn restaurant, nationally known for its barbecue pork loin back ribs. In a few months, we were not able to enjoy interactions like this due to mask-wearing and social distancing mandates.

During COVID-19, I wrote about how the pandemic personally affected me and some of my English students. I remember this being a very stressful and scary time for the young people in my classes, some of whom were grieving immediate family members passing away or struggling financially due to their parents' job loss. I also remember my mother and I using scarves as makeshift masks before everyone was scrambling to buy them on Amazon. We were creative in making our own face coverings when we made a quick trip to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport during the summer in 2020.

I was surprised that the NPR survey did not include a question about our thoughts on surviving the pandemic and how we plan to navigate our lives moving forward. One thing that has continuously been on my mind post-COVID-19 is how the shutdown truly exposed how much we actually depend on one another. I think about this often when I go grocery shopping, and I do small gestures to help store workers out, such as putting an item back in its rightful place if I see something in the wrong aisle. I smile at the self-checkout associates and thank them for their assistance if needed. I also make sure that I am cordial to customer service representatives when speaking with them over the phone. There has been a shortage of workers in many industries since COVID-19, and I know that many customer service reps often get burnt out due to ongoing staffing shortages. A 2020 study conducted by Cornell and McMaster universities showed that 88% of call center agents "report high or very high stress levels," and according to Calabrio, customer service agents are "managing 7.2 more calls per day." Showing more kindness in customer service interactions will go a long way as companies continually adjust to production challenges.

My most significant reflection in thinking about the height of the COVID-19 years is how the pandemic caused me to lean on my faith in Christ while heavily battling anxiety. I was frightened a lot during social distancing, as I was concerned about my mother and worried about maintaining my own health. My pastor constantly reminded me that God has not given us a spirit of fear. This spiritual truth is something that I continue to meditate on as the threat of COVID-19 still remains five years after its official declaration as a public health emergency. We had a coronavirus spike last summer and are currently dealing with the threat of the XEC and LP.8.1 variants. COVID-19 has not completely gone away, but thankfully many of us have returned to a place of normalcy, which I expect the NPR results to show.

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Dr. Jessica A. Johnson is a lecturer in the English department at Ohio State University's Lima campus. Email her at smojc.jj@gmail.com. Follow her on X: @JjSmojc. To find out more about Jessica Johnson and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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