Sunday, October 25, 2020

The New Normal

Remember when someone would say "That's not normal" or we wish things were "normal" and someone else would pipe up and ask "What's "normal?"  "Define 'normal."

Well, today, ironically, thanks to the coronavirus, we have a "New Normal" to try to define.


So just what is the "New Normal?"


Here are some thoughts on that:


  • The New Normal means that, because of Covid-19, it's safer to stay home.  The upside of that is Hubby is home more.  The downside of that is that Hubby is home more.

  • The New Normal has given us a new expression: Covid Fatigue.  That's when you wake up in the morning and the realization hits you that we are in the middle of a pandemic and you have to stay home, wash your hands, wear a mask when around other people and go on endless dog walks for exercise.  It's also the reason you would rather just stay in bed and watch endless reruns of "The Price is Right" on the Game Show Channel. 

  • The New Normal dictates that we have to wear masks everywhere and because of that we are suddenly getting zits where zits never were before. One has set up permanent residence on my chin. It's a new medical mystery called Mask Acne!


(But, hey, I am trying to make the best of it, seeing it as an opportunity to make a fashion statement and I have always been into fashion! I have a mask for every occasion and every outfit).  

Here are a few:


And I probably have about 25 more!

  • The New Normal makes going to the store an adventure.  You never know what you will find or won't find. One day there is no toilet paper, Wet Wipes, or bleach.  The next trip, no flour or pasta. For awhile there was no Thai peanut sauce.  What was the deal with that? Each trip we discover something else the store has run out of.  Rumor has it stores are going to run out of outdoor heat lamps this winter.  And what's the deal with coins being in such short supply?

  • The New Normal is buying clothes at the mall, getting them home and discovering you are no longer a size 8 because you gained 15 pounds. You didn't discover your new clothes didn't fit until you got home because the store no longer lets you try things on there!

  • The New Normal is discovering you haven't gained 15 pounds, you have gained 20 pounds!


  • The New Normal is trying to find fun things to do at home like buying a bread machine and making a fresh loaf of bread every day.  The house smells delicious but, gee, you wonder why you have gained 20 pounds?



  • The New Normal is lots and lots of television and movies at home. Recently watched all 10 seasons of  "Curb Your Enthusiam" in one day while eating a nice piece or two of freshly baked bread slathered in butter. This has become a habit.  "Schitts Creek" is next. And I see more bread in my future.


  • The New Normal is wondering how you will lose that 20 pounds because your gym is closed.

  • The New Normal is no more all-you-can-eat buffets.  Good thing, though, because you need to lose that 20 pounds.

  • The New Normal is lots and lots of walking your dogs because the gym is closed and it's one of the few ways you can get some exercise.  You are grateful to not only have a beautiful place to walk, not to mention gratitude for being able to actually walk, but to be completely honest, you are really getting tired of lots of walking... and so are the dogs.


"Let's go for a walk!"


"Do we have to?"

  • The New Normal is not being able to use the toilet at Starbucks.  In fact, public toilets are few and far between requiring preplanning for all walks and thus making said walks a tat uncomfortable.

  • The New Normal is Zoom happy hours or drinking in the driveway with your neighbors because the bars are closed -- and happy hour seems to start around noon.

  • The New Normal is drowning in a mountain of Amazon boxes because after a couple of glasses of wine at Happy Hour, some retail therapy seems like a good idea, but you are still wondering how you got the idea to order "Brazilian Bum Bum Cream."



  • The New Normal is no live music, no dancing, no movies, no parties, no reunions, no church, no weddings, except on your own, virtually or in a parking lot. Just to rephrase that, fun has been banned.

  • The New Normal is working at home, if you even have a job, and not being able to get anything done, because your kids are bugging you to help them get on the computer so they can attend their virtual school. And you can't get rid of the kids, er, keep them busy with sports because most of those activities have been suspended.


  • The New Normal is going to the doctor or dentist and discovering there are no magazines to read in the waiting room which makes going to the doctor or dentist even more boring. And that's even if you dare go to the doctor or dentist.

  • The New Normal is having to eat outside at restaurants, which probably explains the upcoming shortage of outdoor heaters.  




  • The New Normal is no carpooling, no hugging, no hand shaking, no sitting next to anyone, basically no human contact lest we catch Covid. You can't even imagine what dating must be like now, so that is one reason you are over all of that and thankful to be old.

  • The New Normal is no more trips to Hawaii or Europe, because Hawaii requires a two-week quarantine upon arrival from the mainland and the Europeans don't want us.

  • The New Normal is getting so bored staying home all of the time that you put your cookbooks in order by color.  Well, I did, anyway.



Okay, I don't mean to be so negative.  Things may have gone to hell but there must be some positives to this. Will something good come out of all of it?

Let's hope so.

I have to believe that our happiness isn't totally dependent on all of these externals.  We humans are resilient creatures, and though we are being tested, I have hope that things will improve.  With a little gratitude about what we do have and some hope for a brighter future, we will get through this. We might even come out of this better people.

As Maya Angelou said, 

"Hope and fear cannot occupy the same space at the same time.  Invite one to stay."






I choose hope.

But now, no more splitting hairs about what is or is not normal. We remember what normal was. So next time someone says "I wish we could go back to normal," I don't think we will say "What do you mean? What's normal?"  I think we know.  And I have hope we will get back there again.

This is some of what Normal used to look like.



























Like I said, I choose hope.

I bask in those happy memories and plan to be around to make many more.

Feel free to share what you miss or don't miss from the pre-Covid days or if you think some good will come out of this, please share it!


Thanks for reading!

See you again soon!



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