As we get into full swing of the new year, vaccines are being distributed, things are starting to open back up, and life is starting to show a glimpse of what it used to be like before the pandemic, I’m still here trying to discern what. the hell. just. happened.
I think we can all agree, 2020 was a loaded burrito of anguish, frustration, hopelessness, and straight up bad times. It also forced us to slow down, take a break, and reflect on our daily routines. It showed us areas of our lives upon which we can improve as well as the things we’re doing correctly. It made us realize how therapeutic something simple like spending a day with family and friends can be. We saw how fragile our lives and livelihoods are and how quickly our entire world can be turned upside-down. We also saw how quickly humankind can adapt to hardship.
One of the biggest adaptations I’ve seen throughout the last year was the multitude of companies, big and small, realizing how important it is to implement current technology in this day and age. I knew I would be asked to create more online systems for my employer to keep up with the need for virtual communication, and as I added those systems, we were met with good feedback and even better web stats. I’ve also heard a lot of businesses bring their work online while employees were asked to work remotely, and it’s worked so well for some that their seemingly temporary situations are starting to turn into permanent work-from-home jobs and office spaces are being sold because of the convenience and cheaper costs.
These kinds of transitions are much less likely to be seen unless push comes to shove and change becomes a necessity. Even some of the smaller things that people were able to do to find creative workarounds to recent perils was a true testament to how resilient we are as a species.