What Does Your “New Normal” Look Like?
(A Positive Outlook on the New Normal of Today)
By Julia A. Keirns
Look up “new normal” on google and a definition actually appears.
“A new normal is a state to which an economy, society, etc. settles into following a crisis, when this state differs from the situation that prevailed prior to the start of the crisis.” — Wikipedia
Every day is a new normal for each one of us, isn’t it? When I think of all the situations we have endured over the years, I can think of many “new normals” in my own personal life.
For each one of us, life continually takes on a “new normal” — when we get married, have a baby or a second or third child, get a new pet, get divorced, when someone is in a bad accident and we live at the hospital for 3 months, when someone gets cancer, when someone dies, and the list could go on.
Our lives are continually changing and each day is a new beginning, a “new normal.” Life is uncertain from one minute to the next and we should not let the words “new normal” scare us. Crisis hits us in the blink of an eye and our lives are changed forever.
After the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, our American lives changed forever. We have lived just fine in the “new normal” of post-911. The extra precautions and heavier security in buildings and airports has been good and has probably averted more dangers than we know about. We have adapted.
We need to come to the understanding that the world will never go back to the way it was before COVID-19, and do we really want it to? Some things will always stay changed. I believe many of these changes will be good for us. For example, we have all been imbedded with a keener sense of cleanliness and awareness of germs. We are washing our hands more, covering our mouths more, and wiping things off more. I personally am more aware of the fact that someone just sat in that same chair at the doctor office and had their hands all over the arms of the chair. If they did have germs on their hands, I am sure they would live long enough to get on my hands if I touch the arms of the chair. We carry our own hand wipes and hand sanitizer with us. I do not see these changes as bad. I think it is time we all became more aware of how quickly we can become sick just from being around someone else who is sick.
I do not like wearing a facemask any more than anyone else does, but I will wear it when it is necessary. We have to understand though that just wearing the mask does not solve all the problems. We have to clean surfaces regularly and wash our hands thoroughly. Germs, bacteria and viruses — and the COVID-19 virus especially — will never go away now. I believe it is here to stay. Just like the influenza. We will continually fight it now for as long as the world exists and will hopefully be able to get it under control somewhat.
I am torn on a lot of the issues and I see a lot of negative things coming out of this “new normal” — like loss of jobs, loss of small local businesses, loss of personal freedoms to congregate, and loss of personal human contact with friends and extended family just to name a few. I worry about the government stepping in and controlling what we can do and what we cannot do. I worry about the future of the education system and our children and grandchildren. I wonder what their world will look like when they grow up. I understand these are things I cannot control. All I can do is control my own habits and make sure I vote how I see fit.
So what does your “new normal” look like? Mine is not all that different than it was before. I shop more online and stay home more than usual. I miss shaking hands and hugging, but today’s normal is okay. Who knows what tomorrow will be like though? I guess I will just take it in stride and let tomorrow worry about tomorrow.