Are People Losing Interest?

It's been more than a year since everyone's lives changed dramatically due to the Covid pandemic. Our schedules and daily routines changed, where we work from changed for some (now the make-shift home office or dining room table), what we wear while we work changed (forget the khakis - it's all about jeans and leggings and t-shirts), our eating habits changed (with the occasional treat of picking up a carry out), and some of us saw some different numbers appearing on our bathroom scale. 

We've learned to adapt and adjust when necessary. We had to temporarily quit doing some of the things we always liked to do; social gatherings, going to church in-person, birthday parties, etc. Some things are starting to return to our routines, but slowly and in ways that seem a little different. Restaurants can offer indoor dining, but with a 50% capacity. We still wear face masks where required. We've started going back to church with socially distanced pews, but we miss sharing the peace and giving hugs ... but we'll get there.

As things have changed we have to wonder how much WE have changed in the process. I've heard it said that once you do something OR not do something for three weeks it becomes a habit. It makes you wonder if people will get too used to their new routines and the dos and don'ts that were thrust upon them. Will they lose interest in the things and people that once meant so much to them? Will previous extroverts now become introverts because it's easier? Or will we understand that the changes were merely choices we were forced to make and be willing to go back to our previous 'normal'?

Right or wrong, I have now had both doses of my Covid vaccine and waited out my two week post-shot period. I'm sure that the first time I meet up with other friends who are also vaccinated without a mask will seem a little apprehensive and risky; kind of like taking the leap into the deep waters of the pool. We'll just have to hold our breath and do it to get past it.

I have faith that with time we will get past it and remember our former selves. It's the only choice I have because I refuse to adapt to a 'new normal' with no timeline. I want more than that for all of us. We deserve more than that. I will continue to make the best choices I can for myself and my family and hope that it will be enough.

What is the biggest thing you've missed during the pandemic?

Have you resumed doing anything specific and how was it for you?

The Hamster Wheel

Often, in life, we make comparisons. It helps us to visualize an outcome or a process. Life goes by pretty fast as it is and often we can feel overwhelmed. Think of a hamster on a wheel. He gets a lot of exercise and generally has a clear view of where he is going without any obstructions; yet most likely he will get tired trying to get there.

Ironically, I see a lot of similarities between the hamster and myself. I have goals. I have dreams. I think I know what it will take for me to get there. I try to get things accomplished at a frantic pace, but often feel like I am going and going and going and never quite reaching my destination.

Like the hamster, I know where I want to be, yet will find myself getting tired and never quite get there.

So what is the answer? Great question. Continue to get the daily exercise of running on the wheel that never ends? Perhaps good for my calf muscles, but not so much for my brain. There are days when I swear my mind works faster than the hamster's little feet. The hamster, though, does have one characteristic I lack. He is forever focused and driven. If I weren't afraid of falling off of the wheel I would probably wander off after one distraction or another.

Okay, so this blog post probably contains too many metaphors, but that's the irony of it. Our lives can be just like the hamster's. We have self-proclaimed routines. We know there's always a chance we'll be rewarded for our efforts, so we keep trying. The hamster never hits a brick wall; the shiny silver wire wheel always provides a clear view and an open road. It always has the hope of possibilities. Maybe some day the wheel will stop. Maybe we will wear it down. Maybe we will see something beyond the wheel. Maybe we will discover why we aren't reaching our goal and we'll get off the wheel and choose a different path, one with a more direct route. It is possible. 

With hope, all things are possible.

Do you see yourself as the hamster? Where are you trying to go and, more importantly, what is stopping you from getting there?