Life really has changed over the past 17 months, which is, coincidentally, how long it has been since the pandemic became a thing. I have been working from home for many years, so that part of it is just normal for me. Didn’t even break stride. The rest of the world, however, is going through a major transformation. Some of it is good. Like the realization that not all people need to be tied to an office or other fixed location to make an economy work. Many service and entertainment businesses have not been so lucky, and although some astonishingly creative solutions have grown out of the ongoing adversity, some will not survive.
In parallel with the pandemic we’re also seeing seismic shifts in politics and society all around the world. Some of this seems unconnected to the pandemic, and in fact many of the notable changes began before it emerged, but now everything is colored and modulated by the wretched virus. Not all of this is good. It is truly disturbing to see how those hungry for wealth and power attempt to turn a humanitarian crisis like this to their own advantage. In that sense it is an opportunity to learn a thing or two about human nature, some of which is just plain ugly.
There is still good in the world, fortunately, and I just hope that when things settle down to whatever new version of “normal” is upcoming, that the good prevails.