The Quarantine Diaries: Life in Chicago
Emma Flannery
On March 13, 2020, my school closed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 outbreak. As I went home on the train that day, I noticed that Chicago, normally bustling with tourists and shoppers, looked more like a ghost town than anything else. There were few people on the L train, and Chicago tourism trademarks such as Millenium Park and Sears Tower were empty. I don’t think I’m wrong when I say everyone, including myself, really believed it was the end of the world.
I was in such despair, and I kept trying to blind myself to the reality of what was really going on to prevent that fear from growing within myself. I forced myself to believe that everything was going to be back to normal in a matter of days, when deep down, I knew this was much more serious than a couple of days off of school.
I had been cast in my school’s production of Little Women a few months prior, and remained convinced that we would just push the show back a couple of weeks and everything would be fine. I even ran my lines the first couple days, determined to remain memorized. I just kept denying the truth even though I knew it the whole time.
This denial continued when Illinois Governor JB Pritzker announced a statewide “stay-at-home” order. Selfishly enough, I was really only concerned about my neighborhood Starbucks closing, my long-awaited haircut, and despair over my play cancellation. Looking back, I understand how inconsiderate I was acting - which isn’t normal for me, but for some reason that was the only thing I could think about. I was so upset that my life was getting ruined over this virus - everything I was looking forward to for my junior year was over and there was nothing I could do about it.
I wallowed in my sorrows for a couple days, and then I started to realize that this virus isn’t very polite. It doesn’t ask for permission, it just does what it wants. So it goes without saying that the virus will create a new world whether we want one or not. Our previous values that focused so much on superficial needs, such as the nicest clothes, the biggest houses, and the most money, have been forced onto the backburner because all of a sudden it doesn’t matter anymore. What matters is our families, our interests, the world around us - all things less materialistic than our culture has been accustomed to.
So I had to adjust. I accepted my new reality and tried to move on the best I could. And when I did that, it was only then that I started to see the remarkable goodness that was coming out of people. In Italy, not only were citizens singing from their balconies, but there has been a burst of animal wildlife in Italy’s canals where they had been previously driven out due to pollution. In fact, pollution levels are down globally. There are celebrities hosting concerts online for everyone to watch from home, creating more entertainment to watch than ever, and we’ve even seen the power of the internet keep friends and family close together while social distancing.
For some reason, this virus has brought out the best in humanity. I even see it in my own community. My local gym has started hosting livestreams on Facebook so we can all workout together. I’ve even started taking walks, which I never did before. I have gained a new appreciation for everything around me - from the countless e-learning assignments to the leaves turning green again for spring.
This is different from any natural disaster we’ve faced in that we know that we will win the battle, coming out stronger on the other end. And with that, will come out the opportunity to become wiser, kinder, and more graceful for our blessings. I think that all of this means is that while there is proof that humans - including myself - can be selfish, we are also hardwired not to be alone. To be together and take care of each other. Our families, friends, and neighbors. Out of these disasters comes every person - Chicagoan and beyond - at their best.
This is an opportunity to improve the world around us.
Let’s rise to the occasion.