We were locked down due to the pandemic for over a year. Finally, everything is starting to look normal … but what is the new normal?
When the lock downs happened, my life didn’t really changed that much, except for keeping my child at home. I kept working long hours, homeschooling and not going out a lot. I had become a homebody, not by conscious choice, but by the business of the work life.
I am not going to say that my life didn’t change at all, everything changed for everyone. I just didn’t use to have a very active social life, I thought I didn’t have many friends or much time for it. You see, I had his idea of what friendship should look like, you know, going out every weekend, traveling together, dancing. Basically, I was expecting the same things I had when I was in my 20s back in Mexico as a single woman.
Married with a child, things can look different than what I would like to fantasize. But one thing was for sure, I noticed from the beginning the difference in my own circle of those pro-vaccine and against-vaccine; those pro-Trump and against-Trump, the list can go on pro-XXX and against-XXX, you get the idea.
We became more polarized than ever, losing the middle ground. I found myself alone, afraid of saying the wrong thing and offending the few people I was able to see. Conversations were very changed with people I love. I am not going to lie and say that I was very level headed, I had strong opinions, but I noticed a few times people were taking my comments out of context, being offended and me not having idea why. I probably did the same though.
In this battle that is increasing, as it has not subsided but on the contrary, it seems to be growing exponentially. Being obsessed with Brene Brown’s Atlas of the Heart, I honestly think that our society, or whatever is left of it is suffering from a severe case of Contempt and Dehumanization. Why else would we treat each other the way that we do.
Contempt, I love Brene’s explanation simply put “I’m better than you. And you are lesser than me” and Dehumanization described as “the psychological process of demonizing the enemy, making them seem less than human, hence not worthy of human treatment. Now, take a moment and read it again. We have lost the ability to connect and listen to each other, we simply react and answer, wanting to be right.
As we are moving towards the "new normal" I can only hope that the it brings more hope, more collaboration, more humanness, more compassion, more understanding. Nobody is perfect, we are all amazing imperfect humans with different life experiences, mine is by no means better than yours, just different.
I can only hope the new normal cares more for their neighbor, for the kids, that has space for children to be children, to laugh again, to be innocent. For us to see the human on the other side of a discussion. We are humans, we make mistakes, we see life through a pair of glasses with a different prescription than everyone else, can we go back to be a society that cares?
For me, life now is different. I take the time to go out, walk barefooted, hike everyday, laugh with my kid, call (or text) the many amazing friends I have and let them know they are important in my life. I call my sisters and tell them I love them.
Now more than ever, we need connection, we need to go back to basics and learn to be humans again. No behind a computer, but in 3D, with smiles and hugs and honestly caring what happens to those around us.
In case there are still doubts, look at the picture, same flowers, different filter.
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