What I Hope We Learn
Last week, a friend shared a meme that said “Mother nature is sending us to our rooms to think about what we’ve done.” It gave me a good chuckle and aligns with my belief that the universe puts us right where we’re meant to be.
As we all find ways to cope through our social-distancing reality, we may find ourselves dreaming about returning to “normal.” Yet, if we are to “think about what we’ve done,” this could be a powerful time to consider about what we want “normal” to look like on the other side of this.
About the same time I wrote about using this pandemic as an opportunity to change our relationship with work, I started keeping a list of things I hope we learn, remember, and grow from on the other side of this. I hope we learn:
- to better value the services that our non-profits provide, and the people who provide them. Right now, there are non-profit employees keeping homeless shelters, free clinics, food pantries, emergency hotlines, and more, operating. Imagine how much worse this crisis could be if they weren’t. Non-profit employees are everyday heroes of our communities, but when we require organizations to keep overhead low, we’re saying we value the work, but not the workers. If we value these safety-net services in our communities, then we must reward the workers with more than praise for their altruism.
- the pain the most vulnerable members of our communities feel every day. Feel that pain of what it’s like to go to the grocery store and wonder if you’ll leave with the food your family needs. Feel the pain of what it’s like to be scared to get sick and not have access to care. Feel the pain of wondering every day if you might lose your job. Feel the pain of trying to juggle children and work when there’s no childcare. Build empathy from the pains and inconveniences you’re feeling right now and remember you have neighbors who feel them every day.
- how possible it is to change our social structures. It only took a matter of weeks to pass a new family medical leave bill that included paid sick leave for all and paid leave for childcare. Let’s keep going.
- to treasure our public educators. Teaching should be as respected and rewarded as bankers, lawyers, medical professionals, etc. Their role in educating and caring for our future is critical.
- that our public education system is far from equitable and that access to technology plays a big role.
- that it’s a crime training to be a medical professional costs so much. It is in our public interest to lower barriers to these professions and make the pursuit of these professions affordable or free.
- that changing our daily routines can make a dramatic impact on climate.
- that we can live without some of our daily luxuries and frivolities. That maybe we need to rethink whether we need those luxuries and frivolities at all.
- that women are the future of leadership. That when it comes to surviving and thriving, women are proving their effectiveness in the public and private sectors.
- that incarceration is not rehabilitative. Let’s feel the effects of confinement on our mental health, and recognize it’s far more damaging that rehabilitative.
- to prioritize mental health. That our mental state is a powerful force in our daily lives.
That’s my list for now. I’m sure it will keep growing.
We should all strive to make this time mean something, and that there’s real danger in returning to “normal.” Further, we should recognize that there are powerful industries already working on the marketing campaigns to gaslight us into restoring a society that works for some, but leaves many behind. I invite you to pay attention, get curious, and come out swinging to protect all the good that is happening around us right now. Being our best selves shouldn’t be reserved for crisis time only.
