The Star Tribune reported on Nov. 27 that the Transportation Security Administration had screened 4 million people in airports the weekend before Thanksgiving, while AAA expected 50 million Americans total to travel ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.

In Minnesota alone, there are over 295,000 cases of COVID-19 as of Nov. 27, and also close to 3,784 cumulative deaths from confirmed cases, as is reported by the Minnesota Department of Health weekly COVID-19 reports.

With these numbers staring us in the face, is it not time to consider that we make another unified push against this virus again? Is there no resilience, is there no grit, is there no determination left in the national character?

Have we accepted defeat, rolled over and decided that the thrill of tryptophan is greater than the longevity of national health?

This is in no way a critique of the national character but rather a curious discourse regarding the objective observations of an international student.

I do realize that I am stepping out onto thin ice, here, by talking about a longstanding tradition like Thanksgiving, and I get it. It is tough to be away from family in times like these. I have little experience with Thanksgiving given that we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in Norway, but I can understand the feeling of longing to see familiar faces.

I haven’t seen my own family since last Christmas and I won’t see them again until this upcoming summer. Fingers crossed.

Maybe I am writing this out of spite and jealousy, or maybe I am writing this to remind myself that the sacrifices we make now will hopefully benefit us in the future. We have waited eight long months—eight turbulent, and uncertain months.

After all that time, can we not manage to wait for a little longer? Have the ideologies of exceptionalism and individualism wrapped its breathtaking grip around our neck as a society?

Is the effort we put in to reduce the spread of COVID-19 during this pandemic for nothing if other people don’t do the same? Must a disaster strike before we see things clearly? Can we coin that term: hindsight culture?

In any case, I’d call that 20/20 vision.

I ask you to remember this: Those who wait for something good will never wait in vain.

Song Johansen can be reached at Joha8733@stthomas.edu.