Around the world, we now see some places taking tentative steps to loosen Covid-19 quarantine restrictions that have been — in some cases — in place for as long as 90 days.
In a front row sense, that's nice to see...
A state of peace
BUT
What's not so nice to see is economists and big business — particularly in the US of A — talking about this notion that we need to "get back to normal." Get back to how things were "before Covid."
Last time I heard statements like that was sometime in 2008, after the housing market and lending collapse. Before that, it was in the late 1980's and into the 1990's, while the Savings and Loans crisis was ongoing.
Normal????
The status quo approach to "normal" is what keeps failing us.
And when I say "US", I mean the people in general, not the handful of kingpins who typically profit in the end, from such crises.
Drastic as it might sound, it's not time to "rewrite the rule book;" it's time to throw away the rule book and rewrite how the game is played, from scratch. Some might think we can't DO that, but the active first step comes in the form of refunsing to resume "the game."
Scaling Back...?
How about we simply scale back on our eternal "addiction" to always pursue more, more, MORE?
Nobody around here died as a result of not being able to eat out, five times a week. Nobody died, as a result of having 20-30% fewer choices at the supermarket. Nobody died because they couldn't distract themselves by going clothes shopping because they were bored. Nobody died because they couldn't buy a new BMW and nobody died because they couldn't move to a bigger McMansion.
Is anybody actually going to "suffer" if there were a 30% contraction in the output and consumption of luxury goods nobody really needs?
Around our neighborhood, we are witnessing people take an increasing interest in their community and their neighbors. At least 15 households are quite visibly putting in "food growing capacity."
And we're following suit.
Cherry blossoms
Economic Stimulus... to Increase Self-Reliance
Here in our little household, the so-called "Economic Stimulus" payments arrived in our bank account, this week.
After some consideration, we decided that the best way to use some of the money is on materials, and a load of high quality topsoil from "Shorty's" that will effectively triple our capacity to grow our own food.
Some will go to buying organic heirloom seeds, to blend with what we already have here, from our own harvests.
Some will go to additional insulation around doors and windows, to cut power consumption.
Whatever else remains, will go towards paying off whatever small amount of debt we have (aside from old property taxes), so basically paying off monies already spent.
Close-up of chives in bloom
NOT Supporting "Going Back to Normal..."
A long time ago, I remember having a discussion with a self-professed "Activist" who was all fired up over ways to "attack" Big Oil companies with protests and boycotts and "Actions."
I pointed out that perhaps the best way to sock it to that particular "Man," would be to simply walk to work.
The most powerful tool we ALL have to effectuate change — at least in a Capitalist system — is to create a state of "Non-Demand" for the products and services we are objecting to.
By extension, when we say that there is "No going back to normal," the path to that comes (at least in part) by simply not supporting the elements of the "Old Normal" we find objectionable.
As I mentioned in a previous post, the other day I filled up our car. Not only was the price (after some loyalty card bonuses) only $1.44/gallon, but I also found myself very aware that it had been over two months since I last filled the tank.
Truly? We have not suffered any "hardship" by thinking ahead before we go out and about; we have suffered no hardship from grocery shopping once a week (and planning ahead) rather than "running to the market whenever we need something."
What's my point? We can just as easily continue in that pattern, once we are free to move around as we wish. And so can YOU, if you want to be part of creating a better "New Normal."
Thanks for reading, and have a beautiful day!
(Another #creativecoin creative non-fiction post)
How about YOU? Do you want to go back to things as they were before? Or do you want this "imposed" change in lifestyle to continue as a "CHOSEN" change in lifestyle? Can we build a better "new normal" out of this mess? Comments, feedback and other interaction is invited and welcomed! Because — after all — SOCIAL content is about interacting, right? Leave a comment-- share your experiences-- be part of the conversation!
(As usual, all text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is original content, created expressly for this platform.)
Created at 20200501 13:22 PDT
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