It’s been a strange few years. I feel like I’m coming out of a fog. There was a weird intensity during the lifting of Covid restrictions as we ventured out into the world again. Gathering with family and friends, still mindful of the illness stalking us, hoping our families and friends stayed healthy.
Folks found ways to cope and deal with the lockdowns by acquiring new hobbies and skills. There was a resurgence of folks crafting, knitting, crocheting, to name a few. Folks took up cooking. GenX found TikTok and developed communities of interest, much to the displeasure of the younger generations as they sought ways to connect with people.
Some of us had the luxury of working mostly from home during the worst of it, only venturing out when necessary. We were, in some ways, in our own little bubble. I recall the first few times I made the trip to the office during lockdown as I had a special disposition to travel. The streets were deserted, and it was hauntingly quiet. You had to be mindful to bring anything you needed with you as very few places were open for business. There were no coffee shops or restaurants, so if you wanted to eat, you had to bring something with you
I recall being the only person in the office. My car was one of a handful of those in the parking garage, which previously housed hundreds. The silence was spooky… it permeated everything. It was not the silence of working pre-Covid on a weekend or late at night when noise was muffled but still present… it was absolute silence. There were no sounds drifting up from the streets of vehicles or music from a distance. The absence of other people milling around was so very strange in a normally vibrant downtown.
For the most part, my work was uninterrupted. Adjustments were made during the lockdowns, and my team worked remotely, attending the offices across the country as necessity dictated. We dealt with several high-profile and urgent matters during this period, often working nights and weekends. It was an added stress to an already stressful few years.
As restrictions were slowly lifted over the last year, we began a slow transition back into the office a few times a week on a regular schedule. The adjustment has been difficult for some. Some staff welcome the return to the office and lifting of restrictions with glee, others are tentative, while a small group remains fearful. The isolation took its toll on the mental health of some. It has affected everyone in different ways.
Although I had been working remotely one to two days from home for ten plus years, the transition of going from full remote to partial remote was still a change. I will admit that I am missing the previous flexibility of only going to the office when necessary instead of on a set schedule. However, I do enjoy the resumption of social interactions in the office. So many milestones were missed – birthdays, the birth of kids, grandchildren, family deaths, marriages, etc. There are also several new staff whom I’ve never met before.
On a personal level, we started to travel again in 2021 by taking a few short road trips around the beautiful Atlantic provinces.
We started to venture a little farther afield in the summer of 2022. We visited several countries in Europe via a river cruise that had been postponed from May of 2020. Air travel was still a little rocky, and we made some adjustments to our itineraries, but we made it to our destination. It was a welcome change to travel farther afield.
It was still somewhat quiet in Europe as not all travel had resumed and the tourist numbers were still down. We were fortunate to visit Hungary, Austria, Slovakia, Germany, and Czechia. It felt like a slice of normal.
Later in the season, we did some short road trips across our region. In early 2023, I ventured south again to the Dominican Republic and then Cuba this past spring.
In some ways, things have returned to ‘normal’ but it’s a strange new normal. We have all been profoundly affected and changed by the events of the last few years. Some folks have gained an appreciation for life again, becoming adventurous, others reconnecting with friends and family, while some have developed deep-seated resentment and fears.
A proliferation of conspiracy theories and misinformation has invaded our lives via social media and other sources. I’m constantly amazed at how little people research or fact check information. The fallout has been widespread. Leading to some folks feeling emboldened to voice and act on their prejudices, racism, and homophobia. It saddens me to see and hear so much hate towards others. It befuddles me how people can be so ignorant and intolerant towards others.
Around us the world has morphed since the lockdowns. There was an economic price to Covid worldwide. Trade routes and manufacturing sectors were exposed for their weaknesses. Europe, North/South America, and Australia/Oceania in particular felt the effects as much manufacturing had been centralized in Asia. Then the cost of living has skyrocketed across the world, with few countries faring well and many third world countries suffering.
To add to the economic problems, there have been major shifts in weather, outbreaks of old diseases, war erupting in Ukraine, more political strife, and less tolerance of differences. This has also had an economic and societal impact. The world, in some ways, has a post-apocalyptic feeling as we adjust to our new “normal”. I’m optimistic that we will eventually start to recover and move forward in a more tolerant society.
So be kind, be mindful, and when you can and when appropriate take the high road.
Deanne Ouest, Author 