It will never be the same.

I remember January. I remember returning to the classroom and watching CNN 10 first thing in the morning with my journalism class. I remember learning about the "Novel Corona Virus." I remember thinking "Wow, that's crazy. I hope China gets along alright."

I remember hearing a case had popped up in Seattle. A case had popped up in Arizona. I thought nothing of it. It's just like the flu, right?

The semester continued. Spring break came, as did the camping trip spent with my husband and two friends. Then the news came--our school district's governing board would be discussing closing the schools for two weeks after spring break, essentially quarantining all students and staff and providing online learning because who knows where everyone went for spring break.

The vote passed. We had three days to prepare our new unit for students to learn online.

We moved to online learning.

Later, the board met again. This time, the vote was to complete the 2019-2020 school year online. The ayes had it.

That.

That was the moment I realized life for the next year or two (at least until a vaccine came out) would never be the same. Weekly care-free rendezvous to Target would no longer be the norm. Grocery shopping once a week? Also not the norm. Mask-free breathing? No longer. Teaching students face to face? Nope.

Life, work life, home life, relaxed life, would no longer be the same.

"Nor should it," many cried, pointing out that COVID hospitalization rates are closely correlated with one's income. People of color, people who work in the service industry, people who hold jobs in healthcare yet do not make bank for their positions--these are the people who are getting sick. Not to mention, many who are low income are also more likely to have underlying health issues.

And then, just as many states decided it was time to go back to "normal..."

Shootings by armed citizens in social spaces.

George Floyd.

Breonna Taylor.

Ahmaud Arbery.

Sean Reed.

Tony McDade.

Black folks disproportionately dying at the hands of police officers.

Not only was it too early to return to "normal," health wise as Arizona hospitals receive the highest number of COVID patients yet, the "normal" officials want to return to is subjugation by race, class and gender.

We need a new normal.

We need protests, lootings, and attention. 

We need social change.

We need equity.

We need affirmative action.

We need government by the people, for the people, representing the race, creed, gender, religion of the people.

It's time for a government overthrow. Sure, the ballot is coming up in November, but if that doesn't work (and I'd bet money it won't work), it's time for something else.