A Brief Moment of Joy Followed by… an Uh Oh…
Almost… almost… almost there… but… sigh…
I took this photo right after I finished my last final yesterday and immediately sent it to my mom. I was hungry, slightly disheveled, sleepy and my muscles (motor muscles and my brain, still a muscle… just not visible) still having action potentials [refer to my figure below] building up 24/7 from a depolarization, dropping to repolarization and then to a hyperpolarization and then back to a close resting membrane potential (but it will never reach a resting-membrane potential). Only to have the cycle repeat itself. Maybe include a bit of summation action potentials while I’m trying to have fast reactions or attempting to stay awake as I eat... Definitely couldn’t risk food being placed in the wrong place… That wouldn’t be pleasant… 😖
It’s been an unusual semester. Not just for me but for everyone. Students, professors, and just people in general. Everyone has been put on hold because of the pandemic. Both people in the medical field, researchers, and many essential workers that risk their lives to bring food to our doorsteps or provide services that some people may not have access to (like transportation systems) are still risking their lives to provide society a service that is vital to humans. To me, it feels a bit heartbreaking. There are people who decide to defy social distancing and of other things, placing not only themselves at risk, but also their loved ones as well as to these wonderful people who are risking themselves to provide us services. While jobs are important, human lives are also important. Indeed. People die. It’s a sad truth. Viruses don’t discriminate either. But in this case, currently, we’re able to somewhat control the situation through mindfulness (and autonomy), masks, and social distancing.
I’m as eager as anyone else to see friends again. To be hugged by my friends and parents. To not have to wear a mask anymore and be able to smile at people as we walk past, just to somehow brighten someone’s day in this dreary atmosphere. I am also extremely eager to stick myself right back into the lab for more research (and my lab is right across the street from where I live… so then 🤔… I could sneak into it at night… hee hee!) Just joking about that part. That’s just asking for trouble. Let’s continue being a good student and a good citizen.
But as always. I just remind myself that I need to be patient (and also be patient while I anxiously wait for my grades…). While things will take time, like developing a vaccine, (psst! Vaccines do not contain anything that will harm you or some other funny conspiracy that you wish to state…), if the US, as Fauchi had stated, if we do open the US now, then things will only go towards a destructive scale rather than an upward improving scale. And that’s just scary.
