January 2025

Ch – Ch – Ch –Changes

The pandemic has brought many changes into our lives. Some are negative, some are positive, and some are just plain changes. I reviewed data and research, and this is what I found.

Some facts to consider:

• “Older people overall had the experience, the resources, and the resilience to ride out this storm better than the middle-age or younger generations.” Laura Carstensen, Stanford Center on Longevity. 
• Per CNN: 1.2 million Americans died from the virus in the last 4 years
• According to a Gallup poll, “53% of adults don’t expect their life to ever be the same as it was before the pandemic.”
• According to Forbes, “proportionally more women than men lost jobs during COVID…”

How has the pandemic affected day-to-day life?

• Healthcare workers became more highly valued – as well as other service workers
•  Zoom and other methods of virtual/remote connection were learned and relied upon for schooling, work, meetings, family get-togethers.
•  Remote work was instituted in many fields.
•  Folks learned how to shop, or shop for more things, online.
•  With the world shut out, some folks went back to school, ate healthier, got more exercise, spent more time with their loved ones.
•  Many events were cancelled; some were re-scheduled remotely – weddings, funerals. 
•  People became willing to connect in new ways.
•  Home cooking, nature, taking walks all gained new popularity.
•  Gardens, parks, and outdoor events became more popular.

What changes are continuing?

• Zoom and similar video services continue to be used – for convenience, for folks concerned about COVID, to include folks who don’t live close by, as an alternative for family/friend visits rather than the telephone or in person.
• Streaming is more popular; movie theaters not so much. Films released in theaters are more quickly available for home viewing.
• Outdoor dining is here to stay. Many restaurants continue to provide outdoor seating.
• Pickup and/or delivered meals are still popular. Some restaurants, such as Green Street, have incorporated new menus and pick-up areas.
• Many venues have closed – 99 Cent Stores, Sears stores, Vroman’s Hastings Ranch, Red Box video rentals, Assistance League Craft Shop, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Talbott Electric, some Rite Aid stores, 
• Public parks and green spaces are being used more for gatherings, meals, events.
• Online shopping is continuing to grow, especially for grocery and household items. Items can be paid for online and then picked up in the parking lot of many stores or shipped to a home address. 
• Contactless payment options are widely used, with some places not accepting cash.

What changes do Villagers see or have they implemented? This question was asked recently at the Thursday Book Club, after reading Tom Lake by Ann Patchett, a novel which takes place during the pandemic time.

• “I use a mask in stores or crowded places and keep hand sanitizer in my car.”
• “People seem angrier, or at least the anger is more visible on social media. An example is bad behavior on airplanes, making people more wary.” 
• “Some restaurants have closed and many now have outside eating areas.”
• “I don’t go to live plays because it feels so crowded.”
• “I don’t like to go to movies.”  “I wear a mask in a theater.”  “It’s good to go to the movies because so few people are there.”
• “Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change.” — Stephen Hawking