Hello everyone!
I haven’t written about the pandemic for a while, and today I want to talk about the “new” normal.
Someone said to me that the “new” normal is the “new” abnormal. And he had a point. Things are not back to the way they were before COVID-19, and there is nothing “normal” about our new circumstances.
As I write this post, I can’t help thinking how a year ago things were just normal. October had just started; I was planning my birthday celebration (yes, I am an October baby!), and life seemed to be just going by as usual.
I don’t think any of us imaged when the clock struck 12 on New Year’s Eve, that everything would change so drastically in 2020 and that almost everything we planned for the year would have to be left on hold or not done at all.
The “new” normal varies from country to country and city to city. Here in Guatemala, only recently did the government decided to reopen almost everything, even though there are still several new contagion cases every day, and the death toll continues to grow daily.
The best word to describe the “new” normal here would be “afraid.” We are still afraid to go out, especially to closed spaces filled with people. We are afraid of being too close to people. We are afraid of people who don’t wear masks. We are afraid of people who cough and sneeze.
This means that shopping malls, restaurants, and other recently reopened venues, are not as crowded as they were before the pandemic. Also, they cannot admit the same amount of people they did before.
But living in the “new” normal also means that we need to learn to live with this coronavirus and try to lead our lives as usual as possible but without forgetting about everyone’s safety.
This means not overexposing ourselves. The need for safety has made online shopping rocket since the pandemic began. Many businesses had to adapt to selling online to not lose their niche and clients. I think now we all feel safer shopping online than going to a store or shopping mall when we can do everything from home.
We are also getting used to wearing a mask, washing our hands more often, and keeping our distance. Today, that seems easier than it was when it all first started. I think most of us want to keep not just ourselves safe, but also our loved ones, especially those who share our household.
And it can also mean that we have learned or discovered skills that we didn’t know before. Like, I learned how to cut my hair since the hair salons were closed for so many months during the lockdown. I like it so much that I have continued to cut it myself even though salons are open again. I’m like, “Why go to a salon if I can do it at home?” hahaha.
Only schools and a few other places remain closed, and they probably won’t reopen until 2021. Although some companies have decided to reopen their doors to their employees, others have preferred to keep their employees working from home to avoid any problems.
How is the “new” normal in your country and city? Are people adapting properly or are there problems? Have you learned any new skills? I’d love to hear about you, so don’t be shy and leave me a comment.
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Until next time, take care and stay safe! We’ll make it through together!
XX
Translation Expert 