Towards the middle of March in 2020, our everyday lives changed drastically for the coming future. This was due to a new disease that became known as COVID-19. At the time this first began to break, no one could have guessed that this disease would become a nationwide pandemic that would still have affects over a year and a half later. Fast forward to now in December of 2021, we are still feeling the restraints in the bottlenecks of supply chains, first line responders still working extended hours and needing help, and people passing away. Therefore, I want to remind people how important it is for when things go wrong or take longer to get to your house, or you must wait a couple more days to see a doctor, to not freak out or take your anger out on these first line responders that are putting countless hours of effort and work in.
Our society has become one in which we believe the best thing to do when something goes wrong is to blame someone/something. I write this in hopes that we can start spreading awareness to change this issue. I hope to pursue a better understanding of appreciation of what companies and citizens affected by covid have had to go through in attempting to get back to our normalcy that we are so accustomed to living. More specifically, I would like to pursue another wave of appreciation to front line workers in all the hard work they have done in a time of crisis and how this has changed their lives in doing this. Like Ronald Reagan discussed in his 40th anniversary D-Day speech that he gave on June 6th, 1984, where he discussed how the 225 Army Rangers who stormed the cliffs of Normandy were the unsung heroes of World War II, these front-line workers are the unsung heroes of putting an end to beating the COVID-19 pandemic. This is something that I have witnessed first-hand as I am the son of a firefighter who possesses an EMT license who works hand in hand with COVID-19 patients and then a girlfriend who works within a hospital who has potential exposure every day.
Being close with both, the number of times that both have been put into quarantine is well over 10 times total. That might not sound like a lot to you, but when quarantining involves being away for seven to 10 days, it adds up. Additionally, I have witnessed the extra hours being put into these respected fields that has resulted in missing a Friday night out with friends or seeing my little sister cheer a high school game. This has forced my father to sleep within a quarantined space at the firehouse for a few days and away from his wife and family. The list goes on and on.
So why is this important you may ask? I shared these quick facts with you to help you paint a small picture of what goes on in the day-to-day lives of those that are first responders in an attempt to boost appreciation for what they go through to protect individuals like you and me. This is not exactly what they have signed up for, but they have come to the call every time to the phone rings. Continually, these people have answered the call for well over a year now and have done so with very little complaining. So next time you might think it is easier to complain about something that might be unfortunate for you at the current time, please think about how trying to protect innocent individuals has altered the way these unsung heroes go about their daily lives. It is not very hard to say thank you for your service or to hand write a letter to someone you know that is within a medical field or deals directly with COVID expressing your gratitude. With that being said, let’s spread awareness of what these individuals do and spread the love.
Jonathan Collier, Wabash College ‘22, is an innovation consultant with the Wabash College Center for Innovation, Business & Entrepreneurship.
