Only a few short months ago Covid-19 meant little or nothing to most of us. Since that time our worlds have been rocked. Massive social change is being forced upon us. The effects and fall out of this pandemic can be felt globally and locally. We are experiencing impact and change in ourselves, our family units, business and our community. As with any crisis, I believe we can find opportunity and I’m confident good things will come of this.
One of my daily rituals is getting outside for fresh air and exercise, walking the dog. I find it very interesting to watch the dynamics as I come across others in the community, giving a wide berth or even crossing the street to respect our new rules of “physical distancing”. This practice feels and appears foreign, unnatural and offensive. This is not how we were raised; this is not how we typically interact within our communities; this is not what we all need during times of crisis; this doesn’t feel right!
However, what I find most interesting is how many people are going out of their way to demonstrate a connection, compassion, and a sense of community while respecting our “physical distance”. This can be seen through warm eye-contact and a smile, a friendly nod, a pleasant “Hello” or “Stay Healthy”, more than what we expressed to each other pre-Covid.
Now we are walking down the street and being “seen” by each other, rather than avoiding eye-contact or connection with strangers.
Back to the dog… As we hit the off-leash area and I let the dog run, from a safe distance I delight in his playfulness and interactions with his buddies - other canines, of all shapes, sizes and backgrounds. As an extreme introvert, I never thought I would say this, I miss and long for the days where I connected with friends; a social gathering, an old-timers hockey game, dinner with good friends, whatever it was that connected us to each other…
There is no doubt Covid will take a drastic toll on all of us. But I remain confident that together we can get through this if we continue to focus on and foster strong connections within family, community, and business. These connections will soften the blow of the crisis, speed up the time to recovery, and allow us to focus on what our new normal will be.
Looking forward, I will not take for granted the subtleties of our interpersonal connections (however small) and the huge impact they have on us! This experience has reminded me the simple things matter…
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