The More Things Change...

Change is inevitable… we all know the expression, but whether we accept or embrace the change will be different for each of us.

As a young adult, my dad use to tell me about his AA meetings. He was a long standing member of the social club and thus had a plethora of stories from over the years. Ironically, there plenty of similarities exist between drunks and anxiety riddled pandemic folks.

Bear with me for a moment.

Both groups want to know what’s next and when do we get back to normal? As a sponsor to hundreds of people over the years, dad would kindly remind them, “We can’t look around corners and we can only take things one day at a time.” Both ring true. We’d like to collectively think there’s a hard date on the calendar where everything reverts back to the old days for all involved. Sadly, it’s not that simple.

As the pandemic restrictions are now being lifted state-by-state, some form of normalcy is on the horizon. Be mindful though… key word is ‘some’. The virus is still alive & well… and deadly. It didn’t pick up and relocate. It’s still rampant in various parts of the country and until a vaccine (or viral therapy) comes along, certain elements of life aren’t coming back anytime soon.

The lifestyle of yesteryear… or 3 months ago… may not come back for quite a while. Certain items have changed and may have already altered behavioral patterns. Ever since 9/11 there’s been a permanent change in security from corporations to airlines to hospitals. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) only came into existence after this tragic day and is now a permanent fixture when it comes to travel.

This time will be no different as every monumental event has serious repercussions.

Have faith though… humans are resilient and have short term memories. We’re creatures of habit and like structure in our daily lives. We have a pattern recognition tendency and like redundancy so we’ll find a common ground or acceptable substitutions.

I’ve already experienced this is my own small world. I’ve been going to the gym every morning for the better part of 20+ years. This all came to a screeching halt in March. Because I work from home, this was a physical & psychological change at the same time. I too am a creature of habit… n’est-ce pas(?)… yup, it’s true.

My morning commute gets me out the door by 7:15 AM and changes my mindset from house to office. It’s a minor shift in the scheme of things, but vital for my discipline & structure. It even affords a stop at Starbucks along the way.

Unfortunately, gyms tend to have large group gatherings and thus have been closed for months. In the NYC region, they will be the last type of businesses to reopen.

What’s a boy to do? Stop fretting and get on with it. Fill the void with something new and move on. I read “Who Moved My Cheese” and I’ve been waiting for this moment for years (insert smile).

Walking and/or bike riding have become my new morning fix. Not exactly the same and I do miss my grande ice coffee addiction for a mere $3.50. But, I’ve embraced the change and now get to snap a few additional photos each day.

In conclusion… the more things change, the more we should adapt. I’m still adjusting each day and looking forward to returning to some form of the old lifestyle. In the meantime, I’ll live in the moment, capture a few extra pictures and take it one day at a time.

Until next time.

Cheers…