My Pandemic Anthem

As the masks drop, what world are we left with? What consequence do we carry with us? What has gone forever?

President Biden is fond of saying America is back. But back to what? Is getting back to where we were possible? Or even desirable?

Stevie Wonder once said he never wanted to let his fears put his dreams to sleep. But our fears can sometimes lead us to new dreams. Those among us who built worlds of old dreams want to hasten our way back to them. But many people are stopping in their tracks. Wait a minute. We saw a different world in 2020. A glimpse of an unfolding possibility. We don’t want to go back.

“Covid-19 has reshaped the landscape of work and made remote office work a lot more accessible, allowing employees to be productive and contribute to business growth while staying connected. For some, remote work is necessary, but does not replace time spent at the office. For many folks, remote work will become a new way of life.” Kevin Leyes.

That’s work. We’re obsessed with work. But other ideas crept into our pandemic brain.

The vulnerable among us became more vulnerable. The hospital workers, bus drivers, grocery clerks. Vulnerable and valuable. But the poor, the homeless, the dismissed took the full force of the pandemic.