What do you think of when someone says New Normal? For me it rings of possibilities. None of us wanted this deadly virus and none of us really know how to handle the changes it has caused.
We expect our sons and daughters of the military to go off to foreign lands to protect us for months and in some cases years. They are away from their family, their friends, their support system. We have been asked to stay home when possible, wear a mask when in public, and practice safe distancing. Some of us complain about wanting to go to the salon. My roots are gray. My nails look awful. I need a pedicure, a massage, a haircut, etc. etc. etc. How selfish that sounds to me. I’m being asked to stay in my home. No bombs are falling, I’m not in any immediate danger. I have plenty of food, my air conditioning and electricity work. Why is it so hard to comply?
In this New Normal, while in your home, think of a need(s) and maybe a way to fill that need. Think of the new opportunities, the new possibilities. I don’t sew, but some do. Now they can make masks. Sell them for a profit or donate to a non-profit. Maybe now is the time to write that book you’ve been talking about for years. Maybe now is the time to take that online class or start that business or start to write a journal, or eat healthier or exercise.
Yes, I miss my friends! Yes, I’d love to go out for brunch, to the movies or the gym. I would love to fly on a plane to a place with a beach, stick my toes in the sand, listen to the waves as they come rolling in. 2020 was my year. Travel was on the horizon. New York in March, I was able to make that happen. Louisiana in April, well I guess we all know how that turned out. My niece’s baby shower in June. Not gonna happen. Going to Scotland for my birthday, probably will not happen.
As our state reopens and plays Russian Roulette with our lives, I am going to do as the scientists ask, stay at home when possible, wear a mask in public, wash my hands, and when in public, practice safe distancing.
Hopefully, they will figure this virus out and determine the best way to keep us safe and alive. They do not have all the answers. As new information becomes available and the things asked of us may change, let us use this time to think of ways to have a better New Normal.
Photo by Ani Kolleshi on Unsplash
