13TH February 2023

covid - Culture - Health - lockdown

I always wanted to give this a shot…

The Covid-19 pandemic and rolling lockdowns had a profound impact on people’s lives around the world. We were forced to adjust to new realities, many of us have taken the opportunity to drop old conventions, jobs, and relationships, and try new skills, circles, and interests. This period of radical change and upheaval has created a unique moment in history that historians are likely to describe in great detail fifty years from now.

Much of humanity had the excuse, and the time, to just take a moment…

I have been particularly interested in observing the ways in which people adapted to the new normal. With traditional jobs and careers upended, many people have taken the opportunity to try new things and explore new avenues of employment. This has led to an explosion of creative and innovative businesses, as well as a renewed focus on entrepreneurship and self-sufficiency. The residue of an absence of commute time, the bane of metro existence, (mine was once 1.25 hours x 5.5 days a week, or 343 extra hours per year) left me time to freely pursue interests and skills I would ever have dreamed possible.

I did learn to make bread, paint watercolors, and understand French. No word yet on whether the french understand me…

The social and cultural changes brought about by the pandemic have also been significant. As people were forced to spend more time at home, they have developed new interests and hobbies, as well as new relationships and social circles. This has led to a new appreciation for the value of community and connection, and has helped to foster a sense of resilience and adaptability that will serve people well in the years to come. For more on that, check out a wonderful book and philosophy, Blue Zones.

I think historians will describe the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown period as a turning point in history, a time when people were forced to adapt to new realities and make radical changes in their lives. They will likely focus on the ways in which people have responded to the challenges posed by the pandemic, and on the new skills, interests, and relationships that have emerged. Who knows, historians may see this period as a time when the world shifted towards a more digital and connected future. With AI coming on so soon after Covid, the two may be lumped together as tectonic shifts in culture. The widespread use of technology and the internet to work, socialize, and connect with others has accelerated the pace of change and opened up new possibilities for people around the world. Maybe we will look back on this period as a time when the world moved beyond the boundaries of what was once considered possible and embraced new and innovative ways of living and working.

Dare I say Renaissance?