A week before spring break at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, my roommates and I were discussing how fast the semester was going by, how much we were looking forward to a week's rest from school, what time we'd have dinner that evening, whether or not the Irishman was worth committing three hours of our time to watch, and other day to day conversations that were only a part of our minds in the moments we were together.
With the end of Winter in sight, the impatience for being outside began to disappear, the mood of the campus being revived like leaves emerging on the barren branches of a tree. The change of season was underway as in any other year, there had been nothing out of the ordinary. The anticipation of the end of the school year's end was growing; Spring would lead to Summer, and stage after stage would take place after that, nothing to threaten continuity.
Because I wouldn't be a senior until next year, the pressure of the closing year wasn't on my mind as much as it was for my friends in the grade above me. To them, this time of year gave the last few concerts and senior recitals they would play at university, the final chances to be with people in an environment unlike any other.
With the start of Spring, Major League Baseball would return. My anticipation for the evenings at Fenway Park was building up. Baseball is one of America's most identifiable traditions - an event as reliable as a season or a holiday, enduring wars - if baseball isn't around, America is not at ease.
Baseball is freedom. Universities are freedom. Concert venues, parks, libraries, movie theaters, restaurants and museums are all freedom. An American's ability to go out on a Friday night to see a movie or sit down to eat with a friend is the definition of freedom. The only problem is, freedom is subject to reprisal and can't be considered invincible. In fact, our freedom is put at the highest risk when it becomes an expectation rather than a justification. Freedom is only as resilient as the people who ensure its survival, so it is best to make sure the right people are trusted with its administration; it's a lot easier to lose than it is to gain.
These facts became clear in March when places began to shut down, people stopped going outside and the freedom for everyday activities severely decreased.
Like everybody else, the conditions of the world have changed how I attend school, how I spend my free time and who I talk to. One of the most effective things I do with my time is play and listen to music. Not being able to play with other musicians is a challenge, but it's all a musician can do to keep playing and getting better. An acoustic guitar is a very effective tool when I'm stuck at my desk, constantly staring at a screen; I just pick up the guitar and I'm in a different setting. I also have a small synthesizer which offers worlds of creativity and musical distraction.
Listening to music can be enough to momentarily transport me from isolation. I have a record player with some nice speakers which I find myself using a lot more now. Listening to music through a record player with a nice set of speakers is an entirely different approach to enjoying music. For one thing, you're required to be in one place while you listen, there's more detail in putting yourself into the mode of listening. It also gives you a stronger connection to the music when you hold a record and see it spinning and hear the pops and imperfections.
As the weather becomes more tolerable, the best thing one can do is be outside, with precautions taken of course. I'm lucky to live near a forest and a river that provide a great space to walk around. I find the time everyday to walk around for a while, the amount of time people spend indoors and in front of screens due to the change of life is a big problem. Being in nature is vital, I hope people start to realize that.
When the world begins to open up from this event, I hope people take from it a better perspective on life, especially in America. The things that make life worth living are so easy to lose. We have to hold administrators responsible for maintaining a fair country. We are lucky to say that the COVID-19 crisis will come to an end, but this should be a message, a demand that leadership be help accountable for preventing disasters to come, because eventually the world will change and leave humanity no chance to recover.