While we try to fix all that has gone wrong in the world, we should take a moment to examine the opportunities the pandemic has forced upon us, and then decide how to incorporate any improvements into our post-pandemic lives.
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My children’s swing set in our backyard makes this calming, repetitive noise whenever they use it. The constant back and forth as they laugh and play creates this serene environment where nothing can seem wrong with the world.
About a week ago, my 8-year-old daughter, Brooke, asked me to take a break from working at home to play with her. I spent the bulk of my lunch hour with her and my 7-year-old and 1-year-old sons, switching between pushing the three of them on their swings on a warm and breezy spring New England day. Typically, my lunch hours at the WBJ offices consist of me eating at my desk as I swap between working on minor tasks and perusing websites like ESPN, the New York Times and social media. Being with my children was a drastic improvement.
To be clear, the coronavirus pandemic has been a terrible blight on this world, and the emotional toll of nearly 200,000 worldwide deaths is overwhelming. The economic impact of the social distancing measures, which have left more than 26 million Americans unemployed including more than 600,000 Massachusetts residents, has us all anxious to put the economy back to where it was in February.
But while we try to fix all that has gone wrong in the world, we should take a moment to examine the opportunities the pandemic has forced upon us, and then decide how to incorporate any improvements into our post-pandemic lives. Highway traffic is down nearly 70% in Massachusetts, according to the state Department of Transportation. Images of a smog-free Los Angeles skyline and clearer canals in Venice, Italy, make me happy. More people are working from home and embracing new technologies to remain connected. After healthcare professionals, the most important workers in our economy right now might be grocery store employees and waste collectors, two previously overlooked professions.
For me, before the pandemic, I was in my car 15-20 hours per week, between my commute and taking Brooke to school. Now, my commute is simply the walk down to my home office in our basement. My WBJ colleagues are still my WBJ colleagues, but now my officemates are my wife, children and dogs, whose main request is simply for me to spend more time with them when I can.
That is something I’d like to keep as a permanent part of my life.
- Brad Kane, editor
