Okay, maybe it’s not exactly like living in a time capsule. After all, COVID-19 is a serious situation, and it deserves to be treated as such. But for the sake of optimism and a fresh perspective, let’s allow our minds to go there.

Where, you ask?

Well, according to my unprofessional anthropological calculations: approximately 1990. Because for the first time in over two decades, we are seeing a resurgence in the types of behavior that we were all nostalgic about just four short weeks ago. But what does a global pandemic have to do with the 90s? Well, nothing. But some of the behaviors it has exposed feels a bit familiar.

Such as?

For the first time in over 20 years, you can fill up your tank for less than 30 bucks. The neighborhood streets are filled with children adorning their driveways with sidewalk chalk, running through sprinklers, or cycling around the block (all while social distancing, of course) while their parents watch from their porches. People are only traveling into town when they absolutely need something and are quickly rediscovering practical skills such as cooking, sewing, fishing, and gardening. Families are eating meals together nightly, and all gathering around the TV to watch the news before bed.

Sure, the circumstances that brought us here arent great. But if we’re forced to find a silver lining amidst all this chaos, I think this might be it. COVID-19 has brought us back to a slower pace, simpler values, and a new (yet familiarly old) sense of community and self.

So as we work tirelessly as a society to flatten the curve and give the world the space it needs to heal, let us remember these little lessons. Happiness exists here, within the walls of our homes, and inside the confines of our hearts. And once we realize that it has been here all along, we will never have to go out searching for it again.