I had an epiphany the other night… you know one of those thoughts that cross your mind after you’ve eaten one too many Double-Stuffed Oreos at 1:00 a.m. because you couldn’t fall asleep and were watching The Mentalist before you turned off the lights. 

I realized I could no longer say that I have never experienced the fearful grip of a pandemic, the subsequent stay at home order issued by a governor, and the absolute panic of going to four different stores at 7:00 a.m. and seeing no toilet paper on the shelves. This revelation so totally floored me that I spent the next few hours, or maybe it was more like five minutes, considering the other things that have happened in the past few months that I can no longer say I haven’t experienced.  

As a history teacher, I revel in the discussions with my students about what life was like “back in the day” and how we consider primary sources a direct access to seeing life through the eyes of those who experienced it. My students are very well aware of my mantra that “History is not about dates, facts, and figures; It is about people and their experiences,” and we constantly evaluate why people did the things they did based on their current understanding of the situation. 

Almost 20 years ago, we experienced the horrors of 9/11 and the courageous stories of first responders and many of us can remember our emotional connection to that time in our country when all things seemed to be in upheaval. Those of us who lived during that time are the primary source material for a new generation of students who have only known life after those events. 

Similarly, this generation of students is now developing their primary source material for a future generation and forming emotional connections that will be discussed in history classes well into the next decades. I mean...really, how do you explain to your kids 20 years from now that in the midst of a pandemic you went out to get toilet paper and discovered that there was none on the shelves?  Therefore, you vowed to yourself that you would never have that experience again and once it was back in stock and everything calmed down you bought 100 super roll packages and stored it...and of course they are still using it today.  

The idea of being a primary source brings another consideration to the forefront that should be addressed. Technology has truly been our lifeline to the quarantined world we live in, and you can no longer say that “I’m just not good with technology.” 

My wife and I had this wild thought the other day that we would never have expected to be this dependent on technology because of the forced separation of human contact. We had considered the possibility that technology would have been cut off due to nefarious or environmental actions, and we would be forced to interact without the benefits of the almighty internet. 

In fact, there have been many who point to the rise of technology as a primary agent to the destruction of a child’s learning ability, and decry that the over-reliance on technological devices have ultimately made them a weaker member of society. As a teacher, I can definitely see some of this in our current generation, but this new COVID-19 pandemic experience has provided a whole new level of consideration to how technology has revolutionized not only our schools, but our religious experiences, and how we interact with each other socially.  

We can no longer say that we just aren’t good with technology because technology is now the primary lifeline to the world around us. I previously wrote an article titled, “The Moment You Stop Learning is the Moment You Start Dying,” and the principles and philosophy behind the article are critically relevant to the current situation. 

It is exciting to see an older generation embracing the concepts of interacting via Zoom or other social networking technology, churches developing their livestream capabilities so they can connect with their congregations, and teachers learning new ways to interact with their students. Even Neuse News has had to learn new ways to stream their Facebook Live Coronavirus Chats with social distance and stay-in-place orders in effect. They utilized technology in ways that had not been considered but now with the current state of affairs, the staff learned to adapt.

Make no mistake, these are definitely some unique and uncertain times and I know that many are very anxious about our economy and the health of loved ones; however, this is also a time where our society is embracing the good parts of technology and willing to learn new ways to engage with each other in a meaningful and fulfilling way. 

As a final thought, I challenge you to consider the title and ask yourself the question, “what can I no longer say that I have never experienced?” Do some self-reflection and give yourself a congratulatory pat-on-the-back for learning something new during this experience.

As for me, I probably just need to stay away from those 1:00 a.m. Double-Stuffed Oreos because they bring way too many epiphanies.  

Dr. Travis Towne is a social studies teacher at the Lenoir County Early College High School in Kinston. He has an Ed.D. in curriculum and instruction from Liberty University and a Master of Arts in Teaching and Bachelor of Science in Christian Education from Lee University. He has taught for more than 14 years in a variety of settings including junior high, high school and college. He has been married for over 20 years and has three daughters (one adopted). He also works part-time for the online Duke University Talent Identification Program (TIP) and as the Senior Tech Engineer for Magic Mile Media and Neuse News. He is an Army veteran with service during Operation Iraqi Freedom and volunteers as a drummer and technical facilitator for Tanglewood Church of God. You can connect with Travis on Facebook at facebook.com/travis.towne.18, on Twitter @tntowne, or on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/travis-towne-69106443.