Week: 11… or is it 12? Maybe it’s 10? It’s somewhere in that neighbourhood.

People talk about ‘returning to normal,’ or getting back to normal. It takes about 30 days to form new habits, so the normal we knew, left around week four into five. It’s impossible to return to the hustle-bustle busy type of life we all had. We’re going to have new habits like baking bread, cooking our own meals. New ways of shopping, new ways of interacting. Some of us might be more introspective, some of us more expressive. I find myself more grateful for the friendships in my life, and willing to say it.

It leaves us with a package of questions. If we can’t return to normal, then what do we want? Do we face up to the societal problems exposed by COVID-19, and commit ourselves to fixing them? Do we admit that to have the healthcare we want, the cities, town and environments we want we’re going to have to pay more taxes? We have a rare chance if we take the lessons taught by the misery, and upheaval of the last few months and use them to build a better future. But do we have the guts to do so? I’d like to think so.

Some tough decisions to be made, tougher conversations to be had to be sure. The reward of a better world is worth it.