There have been many words written recently about how the pandemic will transform work, travel, education, shopping, leisure … the list is endless. But I believe that the major change will be to individuals.
Experiencing such unprecedented circumstances is bound to change people. The appeal of being at a packed live event will always now be weighed against the potential dangers of the big crowd. Washing our hands and keeping a safe distance away from others – going forward it will surely be hard to justify ignoring those familiar habits. We will never forget that restaurants, cafés and clubs were closed and we stayed at home, enjoying our own environments and relishing being with family members.
The draw of foreign travel has paled, for many, and the bonus has been unexpected discovery of beautiful parts of the UK which are accessible without the trouble of airport delays, boarding passes and quarantine.
Maybe we have become more thoughtful and aware about how things can change in an instant – many families have lost loved ones, and those left behind might feel lives lived differently will be fitting tribute to those departed. The global pandemic has given individuals an opportunity to change behavioural patterns – many have relished the forced re-boot and have flourished as a result.
It will be interesting to see how long our new habits will last. Re-evaluation has been possible, we’ve lived in a different way, and maybe we always will. In praise of difficult times? Just maybe.
Gill Price
Evergreen Dictate
2020