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The pandemic isn’t over yet, but I think most of us are feeling hopeful that the end is in sight.
It would be wonderful if we all woke up tomorrow and discovered that COVID-19 was just a collective nightmare. Since that isn’t going to happen, perhaps we can look at what we have learned and how we can use that knowledge in our post-pandemic lives. While I think it is important to look at lessons learned on a large scale (early in the pandemic I reflected on some of these lessons in my post on what COVID-19 can teach us about making a difference), I want to focus this two-part post on the good things I can extract from this global tragedy on a personal level. This post will focus on what I learned, or what was reinforced for me, about making a difference. My next post will focus on the lessons I absorbed about finding things to enjoy during dark times.
Lesson #1: It’s important for me to stay home when I’m sick.
I mentioned this in a post about sick leave early in the pandemic. I’ve gone to work sick in the past, and now I see how serious the consequences can be. In early 2019, as a major work event approached, I came down with something that primarily consisted of a bad cough. I could have accomplished my work at home, but I chose to go into the office. I believed I’d be more effective there, and I wanted to demonstrate that I wasn’t slacking off.
The following week, one of my coworkers had the same cough I’d had. I apologized for coming in sick, and she graciously told me, “Oh, it’s going around. I could have gotten it anywhere.” While it’s true she didn’t necessarily get it from me, I certainly didn’t reduce her exposure by coming in sick.
Now that I’ve worked remotely for more than a year, it’s clear that I don’t need to be in an office to be effective. I also don’t need to prove anything by being bodily present. My productivity speaks for itself. I’ve promised myself after the pandemic I will no longer come into the office sick. I hope that for many of us this will be a cultural change on both an individual and organizational level.
Lesson #2: My choices really do affect others.
Ever feel insignificant, like nothing you do really matters? There’s nothing like a pandemic to show the ripple effect of individual actions. A wedding in Maine resulted in at least 178 COVID-19 cases, including seven deaths. When we make choices that take the welfare of others into consideration — such as wearing a mask or getting vaccinated — we really can make a difference.
Lesson #3: Driving less matters.
As I mentioned in my early-pandemic post, there was a significant decrease in carbon emissions last year due to the shutdowns. After the pandemic I will be driving more, but I hope I can keep in mind how driving impacts the environment. I want to drive less than I used to in “normal” times. Can I establish a habit of not driving at all one day a week? How else can I limit my driving compared to what I did in the past?
Lesson #4: Little things can make a big difference.
I’ve said this one almost word-for-word before, but I’m continually reminded of how we don’t need to do newsworthy things to make a difference. Sometimes a card from a friend has been enough to make my day.
Likewise, a recent encounter in a grocery store reminded me of the importance of choosing kindness. In this particular case, a bag of kale was on the floor. I saw it and maneuvered around it. I can’t explain why I didn’t pick it up. I’ve picked up fallen items in the past, but this time seeing something on the floor somehow didn’t sink into my brain as a task to take care of. It was simply an obstacle on my way to the produce.
A woman behind me asked me, “Excuse me, did you knock this over?” When I let said “no,” she replied, sounding very annoyed, “Well, you could have picked it up.”
She was right. I could have — and should have — picked it up. But I was hurt by the anger she directed at me. I responded with an offended “sorry,” followed up with a muttered, “But you could be kinder.” Then I remembered what I’d recently written about hitting the pandemic wall. While I didn’t like how she lashed out at me, I realized that maybe she was having a difficult day. Mentally excusing her helped me not carry my annoyance with me during the day, and it reminded me of how important it is to treat people with kindness.
What good things are you taking from this pandemic that you will use to make a difference?
8 replies on “The Good Things I’ll Carry With Me From the Pandemic, Part 1”
Nice piece. I’ve had the same incidents and thoughts more or less. The same tensions. And I believe friends in Lima would echo this – perhaps magnified and shaded by the poverty there. And then the wondering. Could we have done better than a half million and more deceased due to Covid19 in this country with more sense of community?
I certainly think so. I’ve often wished we had some sort of poster campaign like I’ve seen from WWII with a “together we can fight the coronavirus” theme.
Thank you, Kate. Yes, these are important positives that became more apparent from the Covid-19 pandemic and really make a big difference. I hope that people will continue with as many as possible of those new behaviors. A collective effort will make a difference. I’m with you on all of the above. By the way, I liked your response to that woman who lashed out at you. Although I am certainly empathic to the fact that she may have been having a hard day herself, I see her behavior as bullying. And I am also empathic to her (the bully) as people who bully often have been bullied and marginalized quite a bit. This was good and am looking forward to #2. Stay well and safe. Blessings to you and yours.
Thank you, Linda!
Good points in this and things I hope to remember as life get back to something that is more normal.
Thank you!
Great stuff, Kate! Throughout the pandemic I’ve told people I feel it’s important to make the choice to identify the positives that have come from this collective nightmare.
One thing I am trying to take with me from all this is the fact that it’s a great thing we’ve all been forced to slow down (remember the sloth agent in the DMV in the film Zootopia?). There have been days during this drawn out ordeal, especially in the beginning, when I’ve felt I’ve barely had the energy to make it out of bed. On one hand, this could be a sign of depression related to the pandemic. On the other hand, when I allow myself to feel that way and take the time to lean into not constantly “doing” I realize how the pace at which I was living in “before times” was simply not sustainable and did not reflect the quality of life I want to have.
So, what I will take away is, “it’s OK not to cram every second of your day full.” I don’t want to live that way, and I believe most of us were spending our lives i exhaustion. Sloooooooooooow dooooooooown. And smell the roses.
Yes! That is an incredibly important pandemic lesson.