Disconcerting change is all around us

Some folks leap out of bed in the morning, full of vim and vigor; they adapt to changing circumstances in the blink of an eye.

Most of the rest of us though, welcome our routines and our rituals. For some it’s all about maximizing sleep time by jumping out of bed at the last possible minute, flashing through the shower, downing a glass of orange juice, and dashing out to the car to head to work. We do the same thing every day.

For those of us a bit less energetic in the morning, it’s about getting up early at the same time every day, sitting down with our first cups of coffee, and then methodically going about our morning routines – routines that are timed almost down to the last minute.

We arrive at work, and even there we have our little routines and rituals. Perhaps it is to arrive early, so that we can first sit with our third cup of coffee of the day. Perhaps we head straight to our desks or work stations. Perhaps we make the rounds greeting each and every one of our co- workers.

We may or may not welcome change, although most of us can manage it in small bits. The problem these days is that, increasingly, the world around us is changing, and we are forced to incorporate new realities into our routines and rituals. It makes most of us a bit uncomfortable.

The roots of change with which we are very familiar are still there; change comes from those who have power over us. What is unfamiliar turf for us is that now change is increasingly coming from those who have traditionally had little power at all.

I commend the #Metoo movement that involves individuals coming forward to speak about the sexual harassment that they – mostly women – have endured in the workplace. It does make us shine a light on our own behaviours. What have we said or done, consciously or unconsciously, that has contributed to workplace sexual harassment? Do we address our same gender colleagues by their first names, but yet address opposite gender colleagues by inappropriate names such as sweetie or honey? Clearly, we need to change these types of greeting rituals.

I’m definitely not a fan of being depersonalized though.

Three or four decades back, if I was waiting at the doctor’s office, I would be summoned by, “Mr. Maclellan, the doctor will see you now.” These days when I’m called in, it is just simply, “Robert.” When I’m at Access Nova Scotia, I’m not even called up to the counter by name. I am simply number C238.

Recently, we arrived at the place where some public servants cannot call us by Mr., Mrs., or Ms. unless we have already agreed to be identified by such labels. No longer are Service Canada employees permitted to call us father and mother, but rather parent one and parent two, unless we have already agreed to be identified by those first descriptors. Gender-neutral address is the government’s goal in order to be equitable in the treatment of all Canadian citizens.

A few weeks ago, Prime Minister Trudeau referred to mankind as “peoplekind.” Later, he said that it was simply a bad attempt at humour. Really?

I am of mixed minds here. I believe that people should be treated both fairly and with respect. At the same time, it seems that based on current government direction, on first contact, when I walk into a government office with my child, I am to be considered both gender- nonspecific and possessing of undetermined parental status. I am not sure that I am comfortable with this direction, nor am I certain how I will blend these new realities into my daily life.