A few weeks ago or so, I set the goal of explaining the COVID-19 pandemic through the eyes of the common American family by telling the real stories and explaining the real feelings of individuals who consisted of all ages. I want to thank all of you who have joined me on this journey through the jungle of ideas and perspectives that address the pandemic. Rather than introducing a new interview story in this post, I feel it would be beneficial to summarize and analyze the many different perspectives involved with the Coronavirus pandemic. It is interesting to see how these perspectives can not only differ, but also work together to form a general perspective. This blog post will be a bit out of the ordinary in that case. However, the past few weeks have lead me to an interesting conclusion that points to how society and families deal with times of uncertainty. My journey through the American family started with a young boy who turned out to have a confident and positive outlook on the virus. Like one might expect, the boy continued to go on with life and did not think about the virus all that often, however, his positive view on the virus could've only originated from one source; his family. I then moved on to my next subject being a female high school student. Her perspective was not only influenced by the condition of her family, but also the status of her life outside of the house. Having her junior year being stripped away from her, the ideas associated with her story point directly to the effects of a lack of social interaction. However, she was still relatively positive about the future of the virus. I transitioned my journey to none other than myself. With my current vocation being that of a college student, I felt I could relate easily with other individuals my age. My perspective included finding the things that I once thought were lost to be found again. While there have been many negative effects in my life from the virus, there is always good to be found. My second to the last story comes from a married woman with three children who works in the health care field. Her story consisted of two aspects: her family and faith. Being the mother she is, her family was the major concern with the virus. With her stressful occupation in health care, the faith she withholds has helped her cope during this time of confusion. The last stop on my journey involves interviewing a married father of three children who works in the manufacturing business. His story points to the battle between individuals who have different views of the COVID-19 pandemic. This father seemed more concerned with the virus because of its effect on the economy. Ultimately, his story points to the important aspect of the community. With my journey concluding, I have learned throughout this process that integrating the ideas of community and family is the only way society will escape the terrors of a pandemic. We see this idea in research quite frequently. When a group of individuals comes together to accomplish a common goal, they will be most likely successful in accomplishing that goal. The phrase, "there is strength in numbers" attests to this idea as well. Some of you may be able to infer by now, but the subjects involved in my interviews over the past few weeks have come from individuals who are all from the same family. While their view and perspective on the virus may differ, they choose to work together to find success during this stressful time. Their love for each other carries them along through a time of sickness and confusion. This is what makes families so successful at getting through adversity and is what I believe to be a model for society to follow during this time. While their perspectives on the virus may differ based on their personalities, many ideas remain constant between the family members. The positive outlook on the future of the virus was something I noticed to be a major idea involved in this family. The togetherness they choose to have allows them to push on through the pandemic. If society can decide to come together in large numbers, it can defeat the hidden enemy that is the Coronavirus.
