It was only three years ago, yet in some ways it also seems like it was forever ago.
Three years ago today the world fell apart, or at least our little part of the world, as Covid caused the state of Michigan to shut down for what at the time seemed like a reasonable amount to try and snuff out the virus—two weeks. Of course, looking back from our current vantage point that time span now seems a bit naive, considering the virus is still killing people on a daily basis, but it was during those initial two weeks that we had no idea what was going on.
We had no idea if this was just something that would pass or something that might kill all of us.
While Michigan (and the rest of the world) was shut down my life really didn't change that much. Because of what I do I was still going to work every day and still living a semi-normal life. And one of the things I could do that some people couldn't was to document what was going on in the world (or at least Marquette). I've kept pictures from those first few weeks in a special folder, and every so often I'll take a look at them and notice how those days were just strange and almost like shots out of an apocalyptic movie, with empty streets--
Empty highways--
And people just hoping for the best--
Businesses were closed--
Buildings were decorated with messages of hope--
And even wooden turtles did their best to stay safe--
Little did we know at the time that those two weeks would extend into two months (or more) of a lockdown, followed by masking, followed by another shutdown, followed by more masking, followed by a gradual acceptance that Covid is now a part of our lives.
But looking back on those first few weeks—which started three years ago today—can remind you just what a surreal time it was. And how, on some level, it also seems like it was another lifetime in which is happened.
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