Finding a New Normal

So much has happened in recent years we have all mumbled many times – “when are we going to get back to normal?”  I understand the sentiment; I’ve muttered this phrase many times.

Going back 10 years was the start for me. A whole rash of ‘what’s normal?’ exclamations poured from my mouth! It began with the George W. Bush administration in Washington, DC. At the time his administration and congress were allowing regulations to tumble into oblivion, industries to run as fast and in as many directions as they wanted, all to make money and gain power. The inevitable road block loomed only they didn’t see it.

Policy wonks, like me, just knew in their bones that a serious recession was on its way if not already brewing in the recesses of our daily lives. And sure enough! There it was, finally in 2008 we realized that 2007 was the onset of the actual statistical recession. But its roots were nurtured in policy missteps for a few years before the explosion was heard.

By 2008 it was clear we were in a serious recession and by 2010 we understood fully how desperate this recession was in comparison to all the others. This was the big one that could have slumped into a great depression. Only quick action (reluctantly at that by the republicans in congress trying to hamper then President Obama’s work) saved the US financial system from crashing completely. International repercussions were enormous. And the global village was humbled and sobered by the seriousness of the calamity just missed.

Still there was much pain. Exactly what happened, in what order of time, and because of what causes will never be fully known. The world is a complex place. But the interaction of all things is systemic and holistic. Screw it up and it will bite you in unexpected places. We know that is true. We’ve lived through it these past 10 years.

The normal we pined for never came back, did it? Wages and salaries remained at historic lows in comparison to GDP, careers shifted in content and skill sets, tens of millions of people were displaced from their jobs and their careers, never to see them return. No; they needed to change their skill sets and their career definitions to return to meaningful employment and a reasonable household income. This was a slow go for most of us. Not all were affected in the same manner. But most of us were.

Retirees were heavily hampered. Middle aged workers were decimated. Early retirements abounded. Living on small and fixed incomes was the new standard people were struggling to get used to. The entire social security safety net was in doubt, but managed to survive. Same for Medicare and Medicaid. Both severely challenged to maintain some form of normality.

Social benefits down, employment down, bankruptcies up, foreclosed mortgages soaring, homes lost, nest eggs dissolved, retirement plans kaboshed. These were the markings of the new normal we desperately fought to get out of. It was a mire then, and still is, but things are improving.

On the cusp of this we get the Presidential Election of 2016. Half the population was sold a bill of goods that one candidate was a liar and dishonest. The other half believed that their country had failed them and someone was to blame. So they supported a candidate who didn’t know how to govern but had a big mouth ready to spew whatever he felt others would embrace because it made them feel good.

And the race was on.

I say no. This is one race that had a false start. To follow it to its end we would have yet another horrible crash of another sort from which we would fight to define another ‘new normal’. But here’s the thing: the new normal is what we make it. It will be what we the people want it to be.

There is much more positive alive and well in our American society than negative.

Oh sure, there are those who are worried and down at heart, but they need a hug and a pat on the back to get back up and see what’s good in our own land. And from that we can re-start this race to a new normal on a better footing.

Stop blaming others. That’s the first step in this process. The second step? Start imagining what we want as the normal we can aspire to. We have done it many times in the past 400 years and we can continue to do so. It’s in our blood and DNA. We know how without thinking. Just do it.

So list what’s important to you and the one rule that remains – Don’t take anything away from someone else. This is about building up our nation and our people. It is not about power over other nations or other people inside or outside of our own borders.

Education important to you? Then make it a high priority for you and yours and the nation will benefit.

Access to affordable healthcare important to you and yours? Make it a priority.

Infrastructure we all rely on healthy and prepared for the future? Make it a priority.

Elections held without big money influences and special interests? Make that a priority.

Peace within the global village everywhere? Make it a priority.

You see the pattern? List what you feel are important elements of an America that makes you proud. You might consider tolerance for those who believe differently than you, but that’s just my bias talking.

Have at it people. This is your land. This is your future. Make it happen!

November 15, 2016