Wednesday, March 30, 2022

  New Normal

When my computer acts up I call a fellow who has been taking care of it when needed. I didn’t have any reason to reach out to him for a while until a few days ago. He agreed to come over and see what he could do to improve my desktop unit, but I had to ask him: “Are you vaccinated?”  He was and he even had had a booster shot, so I gave him the green light.

            The new normal for me at the moment is to make certain I’m keeping safe from the covid virus because I’m still not yet back to my old self after a health issue. People talk of the “new normal” now that the pandemic seems to be over but is it? A new variant seems to be a reality at the moment and others might well follow. I don’t believe the pandemic is over because it looks like some form of the virus will continue to be our companion on the road of life. Just like the flu has been over the years.

            But it’s difficult to see a consensus on a new normal since government regulations vary from area to area. In some regions people can go anywhere without face masks while elsewhere they are still required indoors.  Some schools insist on masks for students while others do not. The way I see it not everyone will experience the same new normal. The new normal will be personal because it’ll be what each one of us makes it.

Personal safety guidance will be determined by necessity. Some people with health issues will want to continue to be especially vigilant, just like parents with young children who are not vaccinated. And those who have lost loved ones to the virus will certainly make it a priority to be especially aware of the dangers of covid.

            In short, the new normal will not resemble the normal of just a couple of years ago. It can’t be. Too many people have been affected in myriad ways, from having suffered with the virus to losing their income overnight. But I believe people are resilient and that they will adapt as life continues to challenge us as it has always done.

           

Wednesday, March 23, 2022

 

Deep Fake

 I don’t know about you, but I find it more and more difficult to see the devastation now being launched at Ukraine. The most poignant photo was certainly the one of the empty strollers in a city square representing all the Ukrainian children the Russians have killed so far. It brought tears to my eyes and everyone else, I’m sure.

            Like many older individuals, I remember the Vietnam War – the first televised war -- with the images of destruction and death seen daily on television. It did not impress me much – I was quite young and it was all so far away. Today, however, with the war against Ukraine things are different.

We’ve all been saddled with a pandemic which made us come to accept that all humans are interconnected because of today’s ease of information and travel. While the war against Ukraine may also be a televised war, it is much more ominous when we realize how far and quickly it is escalating.

            However, another distressing thing this war has brought to the surface is deep fakery. It means essentially changing the comments of individuals and reposting them with the help of technology on social media as the truth. Experts can spot these fakeries but they say it’s getting harder and harder to keep up with all of them.

            Some words that have been put in Zalenskyy’s and Putin’s mouths were not true but were accepted as truth by viewers. I find that terribly scary for the future. As technology continues to evolve how much of a problem will deep fakery become? I mean, innocent people could be framed with fake videos, not to mention a slew of other scenarios.

            That could essentially mean that technology may well become its own worst enemy, thus the need to be more vigilant and aware of the source of our information. I think we should make an effort to talk to young people so that they are aware of the need to question what they see on social media. The truth may not always be what is being thrown at them now and in the future.

Wednesday, March 16, 2022

 

Positivity

Winter certainly had an impact on all of us. There was ice on the sidewalks, road conditions were accident-causing disasters, and snow had to be shoveled. 

            Some people take it in stride: “We’ll survive, we always do,” to the more negative approach: “Why do have to suffer so much?” It’s clear that winter was no fun, but I think that the right attitude makes life more pleasant all around. Take my friend Wayne’s remark: “Sure it’s cold, but all we have to do is dress for it. Those who have to leave their homes and take refuge in another country to escape war are so much worse off than we are.” Wise words indeed!

            A positive attitude can impact so many areas of our lives. I was reading recently that experiments have proven that being positive can have a beneficial impact on bone health. It appears that bitching and feeling miserable because of things we can’t change makes us produce more cortisol, a stress hormone that can negatively impact our bodies and even contribute to bone loss. Something for boomers to consider as bone health becomes more crucial with age.

            But that’s certainly not the only reason to get into the habit of being more positive. Research has shown that positive people have all sorts of advantages over negative people. Here are a few: they are more resilient when facing stress and challenges; they make overall better decisions; in the workplace they get more raises and promotions; positive people have better marriages than negative people; and best of all they live longer.

            Things to think about as we wait for spring.

 

 

Wednesday, March 9, 2022

 A New Day

Obviously I was unable to get back to my blog in January. The explanation is simple: I spent the first month of the year in hospital fighting pneumonia, and that stay extended into February. Fortunately I am slowly getting back to my old self.

            The experience brought home the dedication of health care personnel. I had never been in intensive care before and I was amazed how closely I was being monitored around the clock. It seems there was always someone in my room wanting to make certain I would get better. These devoted people deserve our admiration because they are facing the many challenges that have sprouted from the pandemic.

            These challenges may be with us for some time because, if I understand correctly, covid will continue to be on our radar in some form for the foreseeable future. That means that health care workers will continue to be so very essential for all of us because we never know when our health will falter. I certainly never believed that I would get as seriously ill as I did.

            But life is somewhat devious, is it not? We can never bet on what’s ahead. However, amazingly, each day is a new day and we can only hope that it will be better than the one it follows.

             It’s a new day: smile and enjoy.