Editor’s Note: With words like COVID-19, coronavirus and social distancing entering the public’s vocabulary just over a year ago, the Promethean felt that it would be fitting to reflect on the past year.
On this page, you will find a series of photographs captured by Promethean Archivist Jean Germano throughout the last year. Additionally, you will find snippets of quotes written by Promethean staff and contributors, as they reflect on how the past year has affected them. These quotes were written throughout the last year. Some you may have already seen published, others are being brought out for the very first time.
Finally, we hope that you can use this page to reflect on your own last year. We know this was a difficult time for many, and we are all looking towards brighter days.
“Memory is a fickle vice to hold so dear in the season of quarantine. Spring has been stolen from us. I remember the snow only faintly now, each passing year toting with it briefer frosts. I remember seeing my friends, but now I just hear their voices over Discord calls.” — Liam Strong
“The pandemic provided me not only an impressive amount of time with my children, but also the ability to finish a degree I started 18 years go. In a few short months, I’ll be able to graduate and be the first in my family with a bachelor’s degree.” — James Kaska
“At the end of March [2020], President Trump used the term ‘Chinese Virus’ to refer to the coronavirus. As an adopted Chinese-American, his rhetoric unsettled me. Even though the disease is global and does not discriminate against who it infects, using such a term perpetuates the idea that the virus, and myself, are foreign.” — Rachel Prost
“COVID-19 has impacted millions of people around the world. People have lost their jobs; some cannot go anywhere except to get essential items or visit family. I am just fortunate that I get to go to work every day. I get the privilege to do homework and go to school to better myself and build a better future.” — Jeremy Reed
“If nothing else, COVID-19 reminded us all what it means to slow down and to spend time with those we love. It reminds us that time is short and life is precious and, in the end, all that really matters is how well we spend that time.” — Meggan Meisegeier
“Remember to love yourself and give yourself room. While maybe yesterday, today, or tomorrow might not feel like your absolute BEST, it is the best you can give at that time and understanding that and realizing your humanity is what you should put your energy into if you can.” — Alexa Henderson
“I have found that a different kind of growth can also be a good growth if you spend the time to make it one. I have put a much higher value on my time, who I spend time with and, most importantly, on myself.” — Elise Ertl
“We have learned to value the air that we breathe and fellowship with one another. We make sacrifices on behalf of our neighbor. We protect one another. We treasure memories of human touch. We dream of the return of those moments.
We hope we will get through this. As a nurse, I know that we will. We hope we are strong enough to keep going. As a human, I know that we are.” — Anna Njau
