Moving On

It was right to impeach Trump. It would have been appropriate to convict him as charged, but the Senate did not, so we move on. Move on to doing the work of the American People, the work that was shunted aside in that past four years. The Big Distraction of Trump turned us away from the important work still needing to be done.

President Biden understands this. The COVID Pandemic has not gone away. We have vaccinations to administer to all who want/need them; those that do not are taking a chance on lifelong health problems. They also threaten the well-being of the rest of us, but we will survive; they may or may not. That is their decision. The real work is produce the vaccine, distribute it quickly, and administer it as soon as possible to the most people.

When that is done, we can hopefully return to full work, school and socializing.

I am so looking forward to returning to restaurants. The first thing I will order is prime rib at Texas Roadhouse. The second thing will be a full on breakfast with eggs and bacon!

I look forward to my granddaughters returning to school, one in high school, the other in college. I want them to fully submerge in the social sharing that is high school and college life. They need this. They deserve this.

The rest of the grandkids need to return to their respective schools, too. Grade school, middle school, and high school all. Their return is a fresh sense of freedom for their moms and dads, too! A year or more with the kids stuck at home has been a challenge. Even more so if the parents have been able to work from home during this horrendous period of our history.

Getting back to work with colleagues will likely take time. Many will likely continue to work from home and/or blend colleagues at the office with most of the time back at the house.

We learned some things from the pandemic. We learned to make good use of technology and networking. We learned to get work done on flexible schedules, creatively and quickly. Productivity soared as we pivoted to a new work reality. Employers also recognized how much operating expense could be reduced by eliminating huge office facilities whether leased or owned. The commercial real estate industry will take years to accommodate this change. So too, cities will adjust to a different role for their downtown areas.

Remote employees are valued for what they accomplish regardless of their location. This means national access to talent pools ignored or written off. No longer; these prized individuals will be welcomed with open arms to the full team of innovators now.

Another thing learned from the pandemic? Wearing masks works to reduce spreading germs, viruses, and nasty seasonal colds. We adopted a way of living that is healthier. I know I will continue to wear a face mask going forward and not care when others laugh at me. That is their problem, not mine.

We also learned to make do and appreciate our simpler surroundings. We do not need fancy digs or fancy cars as much as we once thought. Transportation to and from needs vehicles appropriate to the number of passengers and the scope of the travel. Vehicle ownership standards will be changed forever. Personal transportation will be simpler. Long-term ownership and multiple vehicles in the household will also change. Community life will be more focused on the neighborhood and town. City life will be for special use, not a lifestyle.

Yes, we learned a lot from the pandemic. Best of all we learned to be more self-reliant and to treasurer our relationships. That is as it should be. Without distraction, we learned what is really important.

Let us not lose sight of that. Ever.

February 18, 2021