The New Normal
Over the last few months our lives have been disrupted and put on hold, but we are now slowly adapting to the new normal which is a lot different from the normal we used to take for granted.
As they go back to school, children are facing a very real new normal where their interactions with other kids and teachers are now quite different from what they were before. Will there be negative emotional effects because of the new school reality due to the demands of the current epidemic age? Like many people, I believe that it can’t be otherwise. At this time our young grandchildren need to be reassured that they are loved and that the world will emerge from this health crisis stronger than before, just like they will.
I don’t know about you, but I always keep my keys on a table next to my front door. Next to it is a list of things I need to get or do next time I step out. I add to it as needed.. Now, of course, for the last months my mask is also on the table to make sure I don’t leave without it. Like everyone else a face mask is now part of my routine and I’ve gotten used to it. There is no other choice if we are to have any hope of conquering the virus once and for all.
It amazes me how creative people can be when it comes to masks. I mean the variety that people wear. A great many people wear the classic surgical type, others wear only black masks or white ones, but not everybody. Yesterday, as I was walking along I saw a man wearing a skin-coloured mask featuring a bright smile. It made me take a second look and smile. Then of course you see the masks of animal lovers featuring a dog or a cat. And the array of designs of the material used for masks is amazing. Last week I saw a woman wearing a mask with a touch of lace. I suppose she needed to feel feminine as she made her way through the new normal. There are even masks with some glitter.
My mask is simple. It’s white with a bright rainbow to signal that hope is not lost, and that this too shall pass.
