LET’S HOPE WE GET BACK TO NORMAL….WELL. ALMOST.

So by now, many of us have made about 7 batches of Rice Krispy Treats and gone through the entire Netflix library twice..and it looks like we may have to endure this new way of life for a little longer. I am fortunate enough to find myself still working and otherwise being hunkered down with my wife, son and dog…all of us doing well and hanging in there. Others may not be so fortunate and find themselves struggling with this new existence. What makes it even worse is that we don’t know when things will get better. That leads to frustration, anxiety or, worst of all, a sense of defiance that is starting to take hold of our neighbours to the south. Yet, for the most part, people realize this is not only the right thing to do, it’s the only thing to do. Yes, maybe you’re sick of staying home. but someone else is even more sick than you are, or someone is now gone because of this pandemic. Many generations, including my own, have never had to deal with something like this. The closest I can imagine is how my parents, like many others, survived growing up during the Second World War…and they didn’t have streaming services, smart phones or home delivery, while facing a danger that was far greater.

We really just have to trust the medical experts and also trust ourselves that this will all be over, sooner than later, and life will come back as we knew it. We can go back to work, back to school, back to the restaurants and pubs, watch sports again, go see concerts & shows, shake hands, hug and even kiss each other again (and maybe not in that order). Yes, life will get back to normal. But amongst all this adjustment, there have been some beneficial developments that I hope, once the danger is gone, that I would like to see continue…

No doubt, the biggest thing is a new found respect for health care workers. All of them, from the doctors, nurses..right down to the people who clean the hospitals, clinics and hallways. The nightly salutes are an outstanding way to show appreciation. But how about showing that appreciation even after this pandemic passes? Perhaps governments won’t always look to cutting health care costs when it’s time to trim the budget.

Speaking of budget cuts, I think the same could be said for teachers. I dare say there isn’t a parent out there that now has a new found respect and admiration for the work teachers do…so how about sparing those education cuts next go around too?

Keep showing that love and respect for essential service workers….especially grocery clerks, food delivery workers, restaurant employees…anyone that helps us with those necessities we need. And wouldn’t it be nice if, after this is over, we can keep showing the love by maybe…oh, I don’t know…paying them a little more than minimum wage if you can?

It seems we’ve also started listening scientific and medical experts again, and not politicians who dismiss their advice or recommendations because they ‘can’t understand it’ or ‘trust it.’

I’m also glad to see that people are trusting experienced and credible sources of news again and not from Facebook or Twitter. Ratings are reported to be up significantly for both local and national newscasts as people are starting to understand where the ‘fake news’ really comes from. ( Here’s a hint….if you ever read a post that contains the phrase ‘ I can’t believe the mainstream media is not reporting this’…it probably means its not true to begin with).

And would we be asking to much if gas prices stayed less than a dollar a litre?

But on a related note…for the first time in a long time, in places like Beijing, New Delhi, Bogota and Los Angeles, the colour of the sky really is blue.

And something I’ve noticed during my numerous walks….I can hear the birds a little better than before.

Yes, it would be nice to keep some of that going…

But it would be nice to go shopping again without masks and socialize a little closer than 2 metres…

Most of all, it will be nice to come out of this not only healthy, but with a healthy appreciation for what’s important in life..and what matters most..

Oh yeah…and maybe go see a game again!