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“Don’t Look East” — What Do the Ukrainian War and the Pandemics Have in Common?
Who can believe it’s been three years since we experienced the first lockdown in our lives? I still remember how apocalyptic everything felt back then, surrounded by death and hopelessness. We had one solution — stay inside and don’t expose yourself. Cut contact with other people because you will either get infected yourself or infect other people, possibly relatives or family, endangering their lives.
We thought life would never come to normal again. I thought we would use a mask and stop touching other people for good.
But one evening this week I went out with my colleagues, after many years.
I even hugged one colleague several times, not being afraid anymore, surprising myself since just last month I was still experiencing social anxiety, not knowing how to behave will all restrictions were lifted after three years of living in fear.
But it wasn’t that hard.
As difficult as it was to learn to pack on masks and a sanitiser every time we went out, it soon became a routine. Yet, it was as easy as it was to forget about it altogether. Of course, hygiene is still present, but most of us are not as stressed anymore around people.
