It’s time for us to survey the many life changes caused by the pandemic

Evaluation is critical. Reflection and asking necessary questions has the tendency to build resiliency and reveal character. What did we encounter, how did we handle adversity, and what could we have done differently? These questions should cloud our mind after surviving any life-changing event. It is safe to say the previous 12 months were tremendously altering. The year 2020 answered several sleeping themes. Let us try to unpack some of those resolutions before turning the page and looking to brighter pastures.

Everyone’s network diminished. People, places, and activities that usually fill our calendar, deducted to a faint fraction of pre-2020. Church groups, sports leagues, volunteer work, concerts and general travel all affected by the precautionary measures to fight COVID-19. Watching Keeneland’s fall meet come and go with no public fans left many a sulking mess. Wedding dates moved, vacations canceled, season tickets wasted, every aspect meant to add seasoning to the mundane put on an isolating, freezing block of ice. We learned that life can drastically change, but it pauses for no one. Circumstances aside, time continued marching until we frantically figured out the new cadence.

Several professions realized they do not need a physical building to conduct business. With an unapologetic outlook, telecommuting is the future for numerous industries. This will allow corporations to shave operating expenses while still expanding their footprint. Additionally, the pandemic led to the realization that far too many households do not have adequate internet access, or particularly reliable connections for that matter. Concerning telecommuting and (mandatory) working-from-home, countless questions linger with no straightforward or appealing answers.

Scottish historian Thomas Carlyle once quipped, “I’ve a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom.” This mantra explains the expanding hobby movement in 2020. People started broadening their interest when life slowed down. All of a sudden, baking bread became a calling and a mission. Nurturing a garden and reaping delicious vegetables became therapy. I even pulled out my dusty bicycle at one point to ride the apathy away. Needlepoint, quilting, podcasts, photography, exercise, and a whole host of other time takers were tested last year. This explosion of hobbies reveals that we will not let voids sit idle. We desire to create something, challenge ourselves, and add some semblance of zeal to our lives.

It is evident our nation is deeply divided. While journeying through the pandemic, people pressed to their limits, an unsettling sectarian approach seeped throughout states. Three factions emerged, those who were vulnerable and scared to death, those who believed the media was overhyping the flu like virus, and lastly, the group who hedged all bets and immediately took serious precautions. Our nation failed to emulate other successful countries’ actions and merge our efforts to battle the deadly virus. If we were lucky enough to have a mulligan, I highly doubt our collective collaboration would be different.

Dissection and discussion will meet the pandemic of 2020. Unfortunately, there will be more questions than answers. It is still important to reflect on fragments of the global pandemic and discern its personal impact. Several will say it was the best time of their lives, finally having freedom to slow down and breathe. Others will recall a nightmare, limited to video chatting with loved ones and praying the sickness stays at bay. Everyone’s experience will vary, which will lead to different beliefs and future perceptions. As a year closes out since this misadventure started, take time to survey the damages and changes induced in your own life. Maybe next time we will not be so slow out of our mutual starting blocks.

Jim Jackson works in the bourbon industry and resides in Frankfort with this family.