The New Normal

When I was a little girl, my parents, sister and I would sometimes go to Palm Springs. As we drove along the I-10, my mom would tell my sister and me stories of how the settlers came to California in covered wagons. It was a hard trip, some didn’t survive and none knew what to expect once they arrived in the Wild West. Traveling along the desert they were approaching their “new normal.”

I was reminded of that story as I continually read and hear about the changes anticipated in our day-to-day lives resulting from COVID-19. So many things – from the way we get our hair cut to restaurant dining – will be changed because of the virus creating a new normal for us. In her story on page 5 of this week’s paper, Mary O’Keefe outlined the decisions that the Glendale Unified School District is making regarding the future of teaching. Will students be on campus or off? Learning remotely or in-person? Each decision comes with its own challenges and I don’t envy the district for having to make them, especially when it seems information changes nearly every day. How are you supposed to make an educated, informed decision regarding something as important as the education of our children when information supplied is shaky at best?

In that same vein, Mary explored the future of COVID-19 on page 6. Just because businesses are reopening doesn’t mean the novel coronavirus is gone. Heck, no, my friend. As a matter of fact, we’re being warned that a second (maybe worse) wave is on the way. And to make it that much more interesting, this first wave may not even be over yet! So like a woman in heavy labor, there may not be a break between one pain and the next.

I’m reminded of the new normal that resulted from the tragedy of 9/11. For example, gone were the days of greeting loved ones at the gate as they disembarked from a plane. For those traveling, removing shoes and being scanned for contraband (these days a full-body scan may be used) is nearly second nature before passengers can gain access to the terminal. But we got used to it.

Do you ever watch old movies that include travel by plane, or watch a time-period movie that shows the way air travel used to be? From passengers dressing up to being served with silverware rather than plastic ware, it was an experience to fly. I’m curious if passengers are now going to have to wear a face shield every time they travel or face masks every time they go to the store or have their temperature taken before entering a restaurant or similar establishment. Maybe this will all fade away once a vaccine is discovered.

But for now, this is part of our new normal.

One question still nags at me, though: why the heck aren’t nail salons open? To me it makes no sense.

  robin goldsworthy