What Changed with the Covid Years

The transitions in our culture continue

During COVID-19, memorial services were postponed. It used to be that I had to rearrange my schedule to get to a funeral service within a few days of the death. Memorial services some months from the death, when people can plan and it is more convenient for many to gather are the new norm.

I missed the public mourning for some significant figures who died during COVID-19, especially in the first months when it seemed we were overwhelmed by deaths. We were not able to publicly acknowledge lives well-lived. It was a public, not just a private loss.

Tipping

We might have been happy to tip for food takeout during COVID-19, knowing we were supporting staff through the elimination of in-restaurant dining. Many of us resent the new norm of tipping at the counter before we get a meal.

Self-service everywhere

Self-service has moved into coffee shops and casual dining spots — we order for ourselves, are invited to tip, and bus the table for ourselves. I heard Fran Liebowitz speak in person about touring during COVID protocols. She asked how much she should tip herself after going to the hotel desk to get more towels, making her bed, and ordering her take-out.

Self-service has increased, but retail stores are also fighting increased shoplifting, which is higher in self-checkout. Oregon, where I live, recently allowed customer self-service in putting gasoline in cars (one of the last states to do so). I thought gasoline prices might go down with lower labor costs, but that was naive.

Zoom meetings are now a part of our lives.

We might debate whether that is a good thing. We can open workshops to people across the country when the workshops are by Zoom, not just provide the education for those who attend locally. Attending events via Zoom has been normalized.

Churches are closing

Church attendance is down. Older people who still may be wary of public places expect the option of attending church by video, adding expense to the congregation. The sense of a community gathering has diminished, as has church attendance. Some of us (including myself) found we could do other things with our Sunday mornings. I wonder how some of those huge sanctuaries will be repurposed.

Even before COVID-19, when I was church-shopping in my new town, all the congregants could have fit in one church building — but that would require Baptists Methodists, and Catholics to all worship together. Instead, some of those denominations are splitting apart even as individual congregations are closing. Many factors have contributed to church decline, we know, but COVID-19 again exacerbated the decline.

Cash is disappearing

I seldom carry much cash, and regret that change of habit, which happened during Covid. I pay for a cup of coffee or other small purchases with a credit card. Almost all vendors now accept credit cards, even for small amounts, and some stores have even posted “No cash” policies.

Travel disruption

We have experienced delays and chaos in the return of travel, and entertainment. I have not flown anywhere this year, after painful waits last year in long lines at airports. The hassle of getting to and from a vacation almost mitigated the enjoyment of the event. I heard other older friends say the same thing — I’m not getting on an airplane for a while.

I did go to a large outdoor concert, however, and enjoyed the familiar waft of marijuana over the crowd. I was patient standing in line for admission, and in traffic to exit.

Restaurant sidewalk patios

I have enjoyed the great and now permanent increase in sidewalk patios for restaurants. The option to eat outdoors remains a pleasant choice for diners. I am guessing it increases the capacity and challenges for restaurant staff.

The central city is troubled

The central cities have suffered. Where I live, many people have not gone downtown, with its increase in crime, shoplifting, graffiti, tents, and mentally ill persons on the streets.

Work is being revalued and re-evaluated

Police are understaffed, as are medical teams. Most fast food stores have “Help Wanted” signs as a permanent fixture. But according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the changes in labor and shortages vary a lot by industry, and there is a lot of transition.

The increase in labor work stoppages is also due to pent-up demand as labor shortages have increased pressure on various staff.

As a retired healthcare professional, I am sympathetic to the protests of medical staff that they are overworked and need more hires. I also know that one cannot magically create staff when no one is available. I have lived with the consequences of hiring minimally qualified people, and an incompetent employee causes more work for everyone until their termination.

As a retired professional, I received a great deal of identity and satisfaction from my career. But work-life balance and a greater detachment from workplace identity seem to be a trend among younger generations.

Work attendance, in person, has changed. Working from home and the need for a workspace at home has changed. I was looking at a new apartment building opening soon, and the floor plans accommodate a small private room (or office) off each bedroom.

LBTQ+, and a return to state’s rights

Last evening I met three people at an event who had moved to this state from states that have become hostile to LBTQ+ issues. As one woman explained, there were many supportive people where they lived, but the public tone and public policy have become overtly mean-spirited to LBTQ+ persons. Her teen was directly impacted. The increasing division has meant people are self-selecting where to live based on local politics.

I don’t know if we can attribute this transition to Covid, but it seemed to exacerbate during the days of Covid. I was surprised in traveling across the country last year how different the experiences with Covid protocols were in different states.

The increased emphasis on state’s rights in these areas, and the issues of abortion, remind me of Reconstruction after the Civil War. We are in a time of great transition, with the pace increased by the disruption of Covid. I also think of the time after WWII, when there was pent-up demand for a list of changes. Like many changes, one’s point-of-view can determine whether they were good, bad, or simply what happened.

Online ordering

I have increased my use of online ordering. COVID-19, again, made delivery almost mandatory. I discovered certain things — big items — were better delivered, even if I was guessing what would work without color swatches.

When I bought a baby gift in person and then mailed it, the cost of time and dollars for packaging and mailing made me re-think the pleasure of in-person shopping. More major retail shops, especially clothing specialty shops, are closing and going online only. That move makes sense.

Our built environment will change

How will our physical environment change? There is less need for office and retail space. There is an increased need for flexibility in home space. We have all read the news articles about how remote work facilitated moves to the country, away from cities and commutation.

A Time of Transition and Restructuring

I don’t remember living through a time of such great transition, although maybe the upheaval of the 60s comes close. I was young then, so my experience does not reflect an adult experience. Although the culture changed dramatically, I am not sure the daily experiences of life (credit card use, online shopping, the physical construction of how we use buildings) changed as much.

I am in a group where we have talked about the challenges of living through a time of transition. What changes have you seen, in the world where you live and work? We don’t know where we are going till we get there.

All I can say is, quoting Bette Davis in All About Eve, “Hang on, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.”