'This Will End': A Message to My Pre-Pandemic Self

Part of our series "A Year of COVID," marking a year of the coronavirus pandemic

If you could time travel back to just before the pandemic hit, what would you tell your past self?

You might have seen Julie Nolke's "Explaining the Pandemic to my Past Self" video series exploring just that notion, in which the actor and comedian delivers words of wisdom to her pre-pandemic self — who of course has no idea about COVID-19 and what's to come.

"I was thinking about how every day felt like something unprecedented was happening in my lifetime ... in our lifetime collectively, as the human species," Nolke recently told KQED Forum. She also acknowledged the artistic tightrope act of finding comedy in a year that felt "really, really terrible on multiple fronts" for so many people.

Now, one year after the pandemic — after what she calls "an emotionally exhausting winter" — Nolke says this part of the pandemic has been the most challenging for her thus far.

"It just keeps feeling like the finish line is getting farther and farther, or somebody keeps moving it — you know what I mean?"

Inspired by Nolke's appearance on KQED Forum's "What Would You Tell Your Pre-Pandemic Self?" show, we asked you — and several of KQED's familiar voices and faces — what you'd have said.

The answers ranged from the humorous to the heartbreaking, taking in everything from fear and loss to growth and resilience. If you got in touch to tell us what you'd have said, scroll down to see if your comment is included.

"This is going to be so hard, but your ancestors came through worse. Humans can adapt to anything. Do your best by your family. Take care of your neighbors. Don't forget those who have it tougher than you do. And remember: This will end" — Alexis Madrigal, writer at The Atlantic and guest host of KQED Forum this week 

"I would have told myself to take my wife out of state to see her elderly mother, and give her a hug while she still had the chance. I would have told everyone to do so. So many older people in care homes have died not directly of the pandemic, but due to the disorienting isolation and inability to adapt to teleconferencing and the need for human touch" — Stephen, KQED Forum listener 

"Make time for 45 minutes of walking every day. Tell your favorite co-workers how much you appreciate them...NOW.  Prepare to remind yourself how lucky you are.  Go see movies and theatre... IN THEATRES... while you can" — Brian Watt, KQED Morning Edition host 

"You should have bought those disinfecting wipes when you saw them at Costco!" — Samantha Ovee, @shizammyo on Instagram

"Call your doctor and get a prescription for anti-depressants right away. This was something that I did about six or seven months into the pandemic, and I could have benefited from that way sooner. I had a stigma about that for a long time, and it literally changed my life and my response to stress and anxiety" — Angela, KQED Forum listener

"Remember how much you said you loved Halloween? Well yeah, now you get to wear a mask every day" — Troy Niemi, @41fever on Instagram

"Get your bike fixed, hug your folks and really remember how good that feels, and do a better job of checking in with people you don’t see often" — Miller Oberlin, @oberlinphoto on Instagram

"It’s going to make everything that much more poignant and painful" — Archer Lossing, @archerlossing on Instagram

"Go ahead and stay a little later at the winter carnival. It'll be worth it" — Ella Rosenzweig, @ella.rosenzweig on Instagram

"Embrace the horrible reality once and for all that the things that truly define America are a pathology, reckless cluelessness, getting caught with our pants down and a constitutional incapacity to learn from our prior mistakes"— Greg, KQED Forum listener

"I’d tell myself to smile at people even though it’s behind a face mask and they can’t see it. I stopped for a while after it felt pointless, and realized quickly it wasn’t pointless at all" — Mina Kim, host of KQED Forum

"Call your mom and your brother as much as you possibly can. Tell them you love them. Keep them company and encourage them to rest and take care of themselves at home to stay safe. Insist on seeing their faces in your calls and record them so you can hold on to them. You won't be able to hear their voices again next year" — Rachel Turner, @chionearisteia on Instagram

"Pace yourself with entertaining your kids. Also, get ready for some picnics! Lots & lots of picnics! Also, put down those extra rolls of toilet paper, where are you going to put them?!?" — Marcie Longoria, @texicanmama on Instagram

"You will get past the anxiety of losing your job and actually start to enjoy this family time" — Molly Hernandez, @miss_mollyh on Instagram

"Clear out that spare room and get organized. Buy more yarn, you don't have enough. This is going to be a long haul. Buy TP, wipes and Lysol spray. Go and see your far-flung family members, it's gonna be a while. GO CAMPING NOW!" — Melanie West, @melaniew626 on Instagram

"You have everything you need. It's all going to be okay. Don't buy Animal Crossing, it's dumb" — Kai Henthorn, @kaichickenthorn on Instagram

"Hug your friends, thank your teachers and don't push everything to the end of senior year" — Jade, @jadecostello on Instagram

"Appreciate the casual interactions and unexpected moments of joy a bit more. They’re about to become a lot less frequent ! Also be a bit more kind and gentle with yourself and others. It’s gonna be a hard year" — Rachel K, @rkovinsky on Instagram

"Stop overworking yourself. Your job doesn’t love you back and will drop you the second things get hard" — @hater_tot on Instagram