I have been working in a grocery store since the beginning of the pandemic. March of 2020 was a very surreal time. I had a couple panic attacks throughout the beginning months. There are many things that I have learned from these past couple years by being in customer service. At the beginning, it seemed like everyone was rude to us employees. The sales doubled in a week and we were packed like a rock concert. This to me was absurd considering the recommendation of 6 feet. However, the most interesting things to observe over the past couple years has been the flux bin attitudes and meanings of masks.

Just last week, I had a customer shaming another customer in line for not wearing a mask or making her young daughter wear one, even though it is now an idea that if you are vaccinated, you no longer have to wear a mask. I am vaccinated and am an employee at a job that does not enforce mask wearing if you are vaccinated, however, I still wear one. The fact that this is more of a societal pressure than it is a law has allowed people to interpret it however they wish, even using their interpretations to scorn others. It is an odd thing to experience as a front line worker, as there seems to be no norm anymore. It is now simultaneously with and against the grain of this area to wear a mask or to forgo mask wearing.

This was my archive 10. I thought the amendment was a perfect and engaging bridge to material read and the archive. I like reflecting on these times a lot because there is a lot to observe in human behavior and nature. I learned so much over the past two years, both encouraging and discouraging. But one thing I’ve learned above all: people will try to force their beliefs onto others at all costs for the sake of validity.

The pandemic produced an insecurity like no other and introduced a new type of normalcy where communication is broken and everyone is living on a different timeline. I feel like it has also given us a lot of time to reflect and start looking towards the future and introducing a new and needed accountability. I am a believer in good sprouting from bad, however, I would be a fool not to note these times are trying the patience of optimism.