Normal?

We have been through a lot in the past 13 months. The pandemic of course, and its toll on life and death, as well as norms that have shifted mightily. Commute? Office job? Retail shops? Restaurants and bars? Church attendance? Zoom as a noun, verb, and vocation?

Grasping how life has changed during the changes has been revolutionary to each of us. We not only see the world differently, but our villages, too. And…we see ourselves differently as a result. Inescapably life has changed in so many big ways that the little things sometimes go unnoticed.

So, GM, Ford and Chrysler-Fiat-Whatever have interrupted their manufacturing of vehicles. Supply chain interruptions have stuttered awaiting receipt of  vital parts, so they have shuttered their plants. This is a big deal to the companies and to their employees. For the rest of us it is not a big deal. Cannot get a new vehicle? Poor baby! We have endured other hardships that pale against your difficulty getting a new car. New car? Some of us need to get a newer used vehicle! Let us not complain about interrupted supplies of new vehicles. We can live through that inconvenience for a bit while more important new normals are vetted.

I am hoping for a new normal in Congress. With their return to Washington, they have much to do. Most importantly, getting along with each other and seriously sorting out the problems that need their attention in priority order. It will help if they abandon their party loyalty pledges and remember they serve all the people of the nation. If they don’t wish to do that, please stay home. Resign. We will cope with the inconvenience of finding your replacement.

Meanwhile, if you do not like wearing a facemask while the virus mutates to another threat level, please stay home and do what you can to earn a living over the phone or Zoom. The rest of us would appreciate your cooperation while the nation recovers so the rest of us can return to socializing face to face. If you cannot do that, please consider moving to a rural area with less density of population.

We all have experienced loss of one kind or another, one level of pain or more. We have adapted and survived. We ask the rest of us to have patience to do the same. One day we will look back on this ordeal and wonder how we survived it. Better if we looked back and saw how well we all cooperated to lessen the pain and loss.

Unfortunately, too many did not cooperate. The commonweal suffers when the selfish are present. That questions how and when the new normal will finally arrive.

April 16, 2021