We’ve gone through a dramatic evolution of the human experience and have a story to tell.
Today marks seven hundred and fifteen days since our world changed.
It’s been seven hundred and fifteen days since we packed up and left the office for our dens, dining rooms, and kitchen tables. It was seven hundred and fifteen days since we wore masks and became afraid to stand next to each other. Seven hundred and fifteen days of wondering, worrying, and waking up in the middle of the night, unsure of tomorrow.
We watched these stories on a big screen with popcorn in one hand and a Pepsi in the other, of police in hazmat suits swarming the streets while people like us frantically stockpiling water, preparing for the long days. This wasn’t our reality. It was the stuff movies were made of, not the stories of our lives…until it was.
Seven hundred and fifteen days ago, we all went inside in one way or another.
Some rode it out at the cottage; some hightailed it to a Caribbean island; some lost loved ones to the deadly invader; some went to work every day, not knowing if they were following. Some lost everything as their incomes dried up and went away, while others turned adversity into achievement and profited by pivoting. Most of us just rolled with the waves, adapting as required and keeping the faith as the rules, restrictions, and daily resets came and went. As the days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and months became two years, we settled into a new normal that we don’t fully understand yet, even as we prepare to come out the other side.
The collective experience we have been through will be the mark of a generation and the distinction of a century, logged-in history until the end of time. We lived through it and were compelled to tell the story of seven hundred and fifteen days when we learned what it means to be isolated, vulnerable, and acutely aware that tomorrow is no longer a promise. Future generations, in classrooms, history books, museums, and movies, will live on forever long after we are gone. This we know for sure.
My question is, what will the story be?
Will it all be about loss, rights, and suffering? Or will any stories be about hope and heroes? About compassion, caring, and human connection? We’ve gone through a dramatic evolution of the human experience, and there are thousands of stories to tell: stories of triumph and tragedy, advocacy and adversity. As a writer, storyteller, event professional, and human being, these are the stories I want to be told.
If you are inclined, please email me your story; it can be as long or as short as you want. I’ll share it on our blog in an ongoing column where we will explore what we learned as humans in these last seven hundred and fifteen days so that somewhere, many years from now, someone will find it in a digital archive, and they will know your story.