No, Not Normal

Good Morning DearHearts,

Sometime during March 2020, the world experienced a HUGE SHIFT.  Within a matter of days people were no longer allowed to leave their homes unless they were part of an essential business or going to buy groceries. 

Restaurants, salons, retail stores, movie theatres and all entertainment venues and events were closed or cancelled.  Schools at all levels, nursery to post graduate ended classes.  No graduations or proms would be attended in spring of 2020.

Now, it’s several months later and although the virus that caused life as we know it to come to a screeching halt is NOT quite vanquished, most want to go back to “normal” life.

 I’m not sure I understand the draw to return to what was broken when we left it. Let’s look at “normal” and virus “new normal” to see which one we actually prefer.

Old Normal

Essential hourly workers are lucky if they make $10.00 an hour to show up every day to stock grocery shelves, clean hospitals or stand in one place for hours to check out the customers grocery purchase.

New Virus Normal

An additional $2.00 per hour was added to these hourly workers pay. Now of course this is STILL NOT A LIVING WAGE, but it was helpful. Now with the “belief” the world is returning to “normal” this bonus is being removed from the hourly pay.

Old Normal

Each day there was bumper to bumper traffic on all expressways that was further enhanced by countless traffic accidents and sometimes fatalities.

New Virus Normal

For two months there was no need for a morning or evening traffic report on the news.  Very few were venturing out of their homes or going to work.  Those who had to be on the road found the traffic moving with an easy flow.  There were very few traffic accidents, fatalities or road rage reported. 

After only a few days of being “back open” the traffic reports, accidents and road rage have quickly returned.

Old Normal

The beaches, parks and nature trails were becoming one trash pile after another. The wildlife that naturally reside in these areas were basically in hiding to avoid the two legged creatures that came to desecrate their homes.

New Virus Normal

With the removal of humans in their habitat the wildlife have had a come-back. The camouflaged cameras that are located in these areas have provided a glimpse into the real world of our national parks and recreation areas. The animals seem to do quite well without human interference.

In the one weekend when humans were allowed back to the beach they left tons of trash in their wake.  Have humans not learned yet that being in nature is a privilege and the world IS NOT their trash can?  Send everyone back to their room until they learn better.

Old Normal

Each and EVERY day the news would report countless numbers of murders, drive by shootings and the unkind nature of human against human.

New Virus Normal

When the masses were put into a quarantine situation because of the Covid virus there were many unforeseen benefits.  One of these benefits was a double digit drop in the global crime rate.    However, after restrictions started to be lifted in Miami Dade County, Florida, the news very quickly had a murder to report. Prior to the quarantine it had been decades since there was a month with NO murders to report.  Is this the normal we are so anxious to have return?

Before being sent to our collective “room” we were becoming a very separated group of people.  Finding fault and blaming others for any and all situations was simply “normal”, after all everyone does it.  Funny thing about experiences that are perceived as life threatening, they have a way of bringing us together.  After “natural” disasters we see communities pull together and help strangers.  This exact thing has happened because of an unseen threat.  There has been an outpouring of assistance in every community.  Does the “normal” of indifference still hold an attraction? 

Yes, it will be wonderful to return to that favorite restaurant and hope they are able to re-start their business.  It will be great to go to a hair or nail salon again.  It will be fantastic to get together with friends for a pot luck dinner and game night without being 6 feet apart.

It would also be wonderful if all of the shelter pets being fostered get adopted. It would be great if the appreciation for nurses, doctors and first responders continues.  It will be great for children to get back to “real” teachers and their classmates.  There are so many more things once taken for granted that will seem like luxuries in the next few months. But mostly, it would be great if we all learn from this experience and start to appreciate the blessings that surround us each day and practice patience and kindness daily.

The motto that has been everywhere and applies even without a virus “We are all in this together.”

“…understanding brings appreciation and appreciation brings love.”[1]

I am thrilled to let everyone know that my book- shockingly titled “Good Morning DearHearts”™ is now on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle forms.

I also want to remind everyone

There is a Limitless Amount of LOVE Here For All of US-NOW!!!

In Love, Light, Health and Peace,

Janet Weissman

©2020 All Rights Reserved

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[1] ACIM Text Chap 7 VI 6:6