Remember February? I have never been so nostalgic for normality | Arwa Mahdawi
Until New York shut down, I didn't appreciate how privileged I was. Now, I am trying to fight my anxiety by making the most of mundane moments
Remember the good old days when supermarket shelves were stocked with toilet paper? Remember when only a few people were familiar with the phrase "social distancing"? Remember when you could cough in public without immediately becoming a pariah? Remember February?
I have never been so nostalgic for "normal". I have never longed so desperately for a dull day. Just a few weeks ago, I didn't appreciate how great my mundane life in Manhattan was. Popping to a pilates class, grabbing a drink at a bar, going out for dinner: those were unremarkable activities I took for granted. On Monday, however, all those things became impossible to do in New York. Gyms, cinemas and bars closed; restaurants became takeout-only. Schools shut. The city that never sleeps had its lights turned off.
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