“End of the state of emergency, back to normality?”

It seems that the last two years of our life were stuck in another dimension, we went from the initial phase of disbelief to not being aware of what was happening. We made billboards with “Everything will be fine”, we dance and play on the balconies to support each other, and we experienced what it feels like to be incarcerated at home and isolated from the rest of the family and friends.

The mass media bombarded us with news and the images of bodies to the point of influencing and conditioning us on a psychological level. We have come to the point of no longer having a social life, not practicing sports anymore, and depriving ourselves of the pleasure of being outdoors.

After the first period, we thought that everything had passed but, after a short time, we found ourselves point and back with the second and then the third, and now the fourth wave of Covid. The pandemic has changed us inside, we have become distrustful of others, it has contributed to increasing loneliness and a sense of helplessness and insecurity, we young people no longer communicate as we used to and we hide behind masks.

Removing the mask after a long time will be a release but, at the same time, it will increase the anxiety and fear of facing the world. The thing I missed the most is not being able to see people’s smiles but I also learned something: to enjoy life moment by moment.

Will it go back to normal? I often ask myself this question and the only answer I can give myself is that nothing will be the same again. Friendships aren’t the same as before, we will not have our time back, nor our loved ones.