I don't read that as any form of Pollyannaism. I take it as an appeal for people to stop whining and focus on gratitude, which I think is healthy and we need more of. When we start comparing to some arbitrary "normal", we are by nature unsettled by something in the now. Everything starts going through the filter of "what would be best for me". But we don't have to ignore the bad things to focus on things to be thankful for. And the world doesn't need to be optimized for us for us to have joy.
I agree that there's not going be a return to this mythical 'normal' which I think tends to equate to 'the good old days', because history is entirely full of genies which ones removed resolutely fail to go back into the bottle. To be honest what people generally want when they talk about going back to how things once were what they mean is ditching the changes they don't like and retaining those they do. For me one of the things I hated doing during the pandemic were zoom and teams meetings, they were like talking on the phone but worse for me, I like to be in a room with somebody when I talk with them. It's why I tend to either want to meet somebody OR do things by text or email. But, a couple of weeks ago I did my first ever life drawing session, over zoom, and it was NOTHING like the dire zoom meetings I used to have to have at work and I really liked doing it. So while at one point I might have said "I never want to open zoom ever again in my life", what I'd say now is "I don't want to have a face to face chat over it, but for some things it works" (though I don't think my limited online drawing sessions is going to take to off to do other things).
I had an interesting chat with somebody yesterday who had a business running AirB&Bs, which my wife and I have never done, we automatically book a hotel. The interesting thing she said, after we'd agreed that there was a generational element to this as her parents did to, while our kids book AirB&B, was that she thought her generation (and I'm broadly paraphrasing) "didn't want to have to actually deal with anybody, with a hotel there's a receptionist and you check in and there are people who work there, while with AirB&B you just book online and turn up and let yourself in". If that's true then I think it's deeply sad, it would seem that slowly we're losing the ability to actually be broadly social animals. So maybe, if I'm going to do the 'good old days' and 'normal' thing my reaction would be to say that I'd like to go back to before the internet meant you didn't actually deal with people any more...but then again would I really want to ditch all the things I think are positive about it? I've met people from all over the world, read and found out about things I couldn't have imagined...
Well, that was longer than is probably necessary as a comment!
That's fascinating about AirBnb -- I hadn't thought of it as a generational thing. I'm wondering if it's like texting vs. phone calls falling along generational fault lines. It seems like zoom, social media, etc., work best if they're a catalyst for people connecting in real life when possible.
Lovely illustrations. I’ll have to reflect on these perspectives so I don’t stay stuck 🤍 I only started my art journey in 2020, but I’m already missing the past as “the good old days” since things are still continuing to change.
Thank you! It does feel like everything is evolving at warp speed some days, for sure. But art making definitely helps slow things down and create a space for peace.
Loved this! I call pre-COVID the “before times” life was so different back then! And tbh I don’t know many folks whose life went back to the same afterwards. Mine certainly didn’t…but I enjoyed the suggestion to look for hope. And we all know there’s no such thing as normal, so adapt we must! (Or don’t and feel miserable). Thanks for the little nudge to let go a little bit more.
Thank you! I really struggled with the way things shifted, but then realized I was stuck in a rut (to be honest, I'll probably have to refer back to this post for myself on occasion, still). Like you said, it does feel like most people ended up dealing with some amount of upheaval, so at least we're all navigating something similar. ❤️
I don't read that as any form of Pollyannaism. I take it as an appeal for people to stop whining and focus on gratitude, which I think is healthy and we need more of. When we start comparing to some arbitrary "normal", we are by nature unsettled by something in the now. Everything starts going through the filter of "what would be best for me". But we don't have to ignore the bad things to focus on things to be thankful for. And the world doesn't need to be optimized for us for us to have joy.
Your last sentence really hits the nail on the head, the idea that joy isn't contingent on circumstances, but rather choice.
I agree that there's not going be a return to this mythical 'normal' which I think tends to equate to 'the good old days', because history is entirely full of genies which ones removed resolutely fail to go back into the bottle. To be honest what people generally want when they talk about going back to how things once were what they mean is ditching the changes they don't like and retaining those they do. For me one of the things I hated doing during the pandemic were zoom and teams meetings, they were like talking on the phone but worse for me, I like to be in a room with somebody when I talk with them. It's why I tend to either want to meet somebody OR do things by text or email. But, a couple of weeks ago I did my first ever life drawing session, over zoom, and it was NOTHING like the dire zoom meetings I used to have to have at work and I really liked doing it. So while at one point I might have said "I never want to open zoom ever again in my life", what I'd say now is "I don't want to have a face to face chat over it, but for some things it works" (though I don't think my limited online drawing sessions is going to take to off to do other things).
I had an interesting chat with somebody yesterday who had a business running AirB&Bs, which my wife and I have never done, we automatically book a hotel. The interesting thing she said, after we'd agreed that there was a generational element to this as her parents did to, while our kids book AirB&B, was that she thought her generation (and I'm broadly paraphrasing) "didn't want to have to actually deal with anybody, with a hotel there's a receptionist and you check in and there are people who work there, while with AirB&B you just book online and turn up and let yourself in". If that's true then I think it's deeply sad, it would seem that slowly we're losing the ability to actually be broadly social animals. So maybe, if I'm going to do the 'good old days' and 'normal' thing my reaction would be to say that I'd like to go back to before the internet meant you didn't actually deal with people any more...but then again would I really want to ditch all the things I think are positive about it? I've met people from all over the world, read and found out about things I couldn't have imagined...
Well, that was longer than is probably necessary as a comment!
That's fascinating about AirBnb -- I hadn't thought of it as a generational thing. I'm wondering if it's like texting vs. phone calls falling along generational fault lines. It seems like zoom, social media, etc., work best if they're a catalyst for people connecting in real life when possible.
Lovely illustrations. I’ll have to reflect on these perspectives so I don’t stay stuck 🤍 I only started my art journey in 2020, but I’m already missing the past as “the good old days” since things are still continuing to change.
Thank you! It does feel like everything is evolving at warp speed some days, for sure. But art making definitely helps slow things down and create a space for peace.
Loved this! I call pre-COVID the “before times” life was so different back then! And tbh I don’t know many folks whose life went back to the same afterwards. Mine certainly didn’t…but I enjoyed the suggestion to look for hope. And we all know there’s no such thing as normal, so adapt we must! (Or don’t and feel miserable). Thanks for the little nudge to let go a little bit more.
Thank you! I really struggled with the way things shifted, but then realized I was stuck in a rut (to be honest, I'll probably have to refer back to this post for myself on occasion, still). Like you said, it does feel like most people ended up dealing with some amount of upheaval, so at least we're all navigating something similar. ❤️
Really love this Abigail! 💛