Normal?

Right on time we are beginning to question our current plight. “When will we return to normal?”  Will normal look like the ‘old normal’ or something else? What are we learning about ourselves and our social norms from the Covid-19 quarantine?


I have noticed the following good points from my experience:

1.      Meeting connections are done digitally. The sessions are effective when planned well and attendees cooperate with the ‘rules’

2.      Digital meetings free up time: travel; scheduling on time or early arrivals to allow for traffic and weather conditions; focal points in agenda pinpoint prep time to just those topics

3.      Church is digital and saves not only time, but flexibly fits into my calendar. If I am late tuning in, I can see the whole service later as a whole

4.      Church is seven days a week with various programs, projects and work assignments. It is not just about Sunday morning anymore. Shouldn’t have been before, either!

5.      Written communications spread digitally are more often, timely, and on point. Might we be learning how to communicate more effectively in this experience?

6.      Takeaways from digital meetings provide me hours of consideration, and meditation. Better ideas and conclusions come from this thoughtful approach

7.      With a better thinking process, I think more broadly and creatively. Inclusivity and diversity of people and ideas is engendered

8.      Google searches and internet research has been improved. I’m learning to ask better questions and discern useful resources

9.      Focus on individuals is heightened. I try to think into the person. Less superficiality. Richness of context.

10.   Appreciation of institutions and their unique functions grows. The credit union or bank is about the functionality of money and how to move it in support of human needs. The library is not about books, but information sharing – and finding! Park districts are about engaging minds as well as bodies in healthy, community support. Businesses are about services and products, not profits and prestige

I could go on and on. Each of these points cause more ideas to spring forth!


Of course, pandemic sheltering has raised these negative points:

1.      I miss seeing and feeling the presence of family and friends; this is far more important than I had thought before quarantine

2.      Worshipping at church is all about sharing the experience with others in their presence. It can be done digitally but it sorely lacks the immediacy of others

3.      Dining in restaurants is not about the food. It is about camaraderie and social participation

4.      Communication brevity on Facebook turns negative quickly. It requires better manners to maintain positivity

5.      Hair length is getting out of hand

6.      Sloppy dressing is now attractive!

7.      Snacking on junk food is mighty tempting; weight gain is unseemly

8.      TV programming is much worse than I had previously thought. Lowest common denominator audience attraction is on full display. Surely, we are better than this?

9.      Voting is much more difficult and dangerous from a health perspective. We need easy, fast, digital voting once security problems are solved

10.   I miss my rides in the country

I’ll stop there. Too much thinking on this will produce a blue funk not easily overcome.


Mixing the good and bad points above gives opportunity to do the future better. Normal will and should morph into better, don’t you think? I’m hopeful this will happen.


For now, I pat my rotund belly, pull myself away from the computer, and prepare for a shave and shower. Then breakfast and a nap. I’ve been at this since 5:30 am. Nap time at 10 beckons!

Oh, and who cares about the weather? I'm indoors; it's outdoors.


April 8, 2020