“Ordinary” Becomes Our Newest Fantasy

Remember when watching TV with a friend on the couch or hanging around the lockers or window-shopping at the mall seemed ordinary? Now, with so many restrictions on what we can do, a lot of people just wish they could go back to “life before Covid”, in all its ordinariness. 

When people fantasize about what they will do when the virus is conquered, some find hope in returning to those ordinary, daily moments, while others dream of big adventures that must no longer be postponed.  People’s fantasies range from things as simple as hugging  grandparents to exciting trips across the country or around the world.

In a survey of Eastside freshmen and sophomores in the second week of September, the majority of the 46 respondents are dreaming of when they can return to public places like the mall, an indoor movie theater, or amusement parks. Seeing other people in public places simply makes some people feel happy, like freshman Ashley Kaage.

 “I’m used to exploring the places around me,” Ashley said, “and that’s what I really miss doing.”

As Ashley imagines life after the pandemic, she thinks a lot of people will be happy once stores open up at the malls, especially those shopkeepers who are struggling. Imagining those pleasures keeps her looking forward hopefully to the end of the pandemic. 

Students also can’t wait to return to playing sports, like basketball and soccer.. 

Freshman Ivan Rios has been playing soccer as right wing for several years now and loves to do it in his free time. Before the pandemic, he would do competitive seasons every weekend, but now, Ivan misses playing soccer.  It’s more than just a matter of exercise and fun — soccer motivates him to never give up. When he is able to go back to in-person sports,  he cannot wait to win his first tournament he plays!

Lastly,  another dominant fantasy among students is the desire to return to campus and have school back the way it was before. Students seem to have developed a new appreciation for the value and importance of everyday life on campus. From the desks to the resources, to being able to interact with teachers and peers, students want to do it the same way they could do it before. 

Junior David Martinez agrees. He finds learning in person at school better because of the friends and teachers all around. But despite this, he has been able to keep in touch with friends virtually, which helps him feel more cheerful about looking towards the end of quarantine.   

“Now a lot of us don’t have the best environment at home to learn and do a lot of our work in,” said sophomore Juan Ibarra. “I think a lot of us took our space at Eastside for granted.”