After COVID-19, let’s not go ‘back to normal’

Along with all the hurt, the pandemic has brought awareness of the need for change, Stephen Cohen says.

At the start of the COVID -19 pandemic, I, like many, got caught up in the economic disaster it would bring about. It was clear that the changes required to keep the virus from spreading too quickly would leave governments in financial ruin. We are now in a recession — we have and will continue to suffer the consequences of what my CEGEP students call “Rona” (short for Corona-virus — ah, kids). In these dire straits, I have heard many express their desire for things to get back to normal.

Here’s my view: getting back to normal, if it were in our power to do so, would be a grave error.

If “the before times” (as a friend of mine likes to call it) is the normal that is being referred to, let us examine the many abnormal events that have transpired in 2020, beginning with the positive ones.

Black Lives Matter: The global movement for racial equality is a watershed moment for the current generation of young people. I sincerely hope that it will grow and reach what Dave Chappelle refers to as a “critical mass” that cannot be stopped. At this moment in time, I cannot see how this inevitable tide of justice can be swept away. Without the pause brought upon by COVID-19, this movement would likely not have gathered the momentum that it has.

The environment: The closing of industries has led to cleaner air in the short term, but may well have positive effects that are long term. We have learned that many jobs can be done as effectively from home. As the economy reopens, I hope that many employees will be able to continue to work from home. People have also taken an interest in growing their own food. Eating and buying local is another positive movement taking hold. All these changes are promising for our biosphere.

Less excess: One of the most unflattering North American traits is our overconsumption. The months-long hiatus spent staring at the stuff piled up in our homes may have caused many of us to reflect on our excess. While buying plastic-laden manufactured stuff might be nice for some industries in the short-term, it is bad for the planet and cheapens our human experience.

These injustices toward the planet and ourselves are weights on our collective shoulders. We use our smartphones as a distraction to avoid reflecting on our failures as a species. Facing our shortcomings, whether as individuals or as a collective, is daunting. However, once you begin down the road of self-reflection, it becomes easier to continue.

To be sure, COVID -19 has taken a major toll in a multitude of ways. Many have died, while others have suffered physically and will require much rehabilitation. The psychological impact of physical distancing from family and friends is severe. The increased poverty due to a recession has a cascading effect that is detrimental to society.

Many who suffer with health problems not related to COVID-19 wait in a backlog. Our seniors are lonely. Our kids are lonely, and their education has suffered, and will continue to suffer.

We cannot undo the hurt caused by the pandemic. But this is precisely why we must not go “back to normal.”

If we do not keep the positive outcomes of the 2020 pause, then all the suffering will have been in vain. Our new normal must be a more just one. It needs to include racial equality. It needs to include sustainability. We have endured this thing long enough for it to be habit-forming. I hope we maintain some good habits and retain the lessons learned during quarantine.

As we begin to gather again in person, let us appreciate all that we have, and strive to be better. It is not too late to redirect this ship. “Rona” may be the wake-up call that we needed.

Once you begin down the road of self-reflection, it becomes easier to continue.