By Zach Mazan

The last few months of the pandemic have not only changed me as a person, they’ve changed the way that I look at society as a whole. I first went into quarantine at my cottage in March, and like everyone else, I thought that it would simply pass over in a couple of weeks. However, it would last much longer, and over the course of the next couple months, I saw changes in myself and in the world. 

One of the main outcomes of this pandemic was that I had to learn to adapt to new situations quickly. We were thrust into the cold March school season naive and unprepared for how to carry out learning. It was a rough start, with teachers trying out new ideas to provide us with the best education and not all of those ideas working out. I had to adapt to each and every one of these ideas to try and learn the most I could and help the teachers with this new environment. I wasn’t used to having to log on to a virtual classroom every class from the comfort of my own home, and I would often forget or be late to the meets. I had to familiarize myself with this new learning system, and I had to do so quickly. Another element of this pandemic that I had to get used to was wearing a mask when in public. It was a strange concept to me, to have to wear a mask in every store and every building that I went into. I had to learn that this was the new norm, and I had to get used to the fact that we were living in a pandemic and this was an everyday requirement.

Another result of COVID-19 was how I matured as a person. I took on a full new responsibility in my house and in society. My family and I all needed to work together to live through this pandemic. With that responsibility came a maturity. I could no longer just go out and see people or go and do whatever I wanted. I had to be aware that there was a virus out there, and I had the potential to be deadly. When I was out doing something as simple as shopping, I not only had to think about my health, I had to think about how my actions could affect those close to me. Not only did I have to think about my family; I had to think about the entire population of Canada. I had to think about those who are in a far worse situation than me, those who are struggling financially or who suffer from domestic abuse. I was doing my part in helping them by staying safe and not spreading the virus. The sooner that I can help end it, the sooner that we can help these individuals. I matured a lot through this pandemic and learned many lessons that will help me succeed in life.

My final takeaway from the first months of the pandemic was a new view on society. Through news stories and even personal experiences I saw how selfish and uncaring some people really are–for example, the anti-mask protesters. Even if the virus was a hoax and it was all fake, what harm can wearing a mask do? They say that it infringes on their rights, but they need to think of other people before themselves. I now see society in a new light. People need to realize that their actions will have consequences, that one party could result in the death of so many people. 

Overall, I have changed for the better throughout the pandemic, but my view on society has worsened. We need to step up if we want to thrive as a nation.