Reopening Communities
Sun, April 26, 2020
Last month our world has been turned upside down. Many warm and welcoming communities used to large gatherings of people sharing hugs, meals and drinks, working on projects and playing games - implemented social distancing to help slow the spread of novel coronavirus. The Great Lockdown made impossible for communities to properly greet new neighbors, have wine parties and hike together as they had to adjust to life in a social distancing context.
The new plan to re-open the economy has been just released, but it will be a long road back to normal and it will have to pass through dystopian new normal.
The Good News is we all made it this far. GenXers and Xennials were busy taking care of their kids, parents, friends, pets; working in the office or from home, spring-cleaning and organizing. Many were on the front lines of the pandemics providing care or trying to find curs. Many others trapped in their homes found ways to contribut too - by sawing masks, 3D-printing face shields, researching cures, calculating costs of different ways of getting back to normal or lightening the mood and spreading kindness in our community.
As the country was shutting down, social media and press was praising Gen-Xers for the ability "to roll with the punches and handle tough moments in life". "It took a Global Pandemic, But Generation X is Finally Getting Love" was the title of an article in Papercity magazine. “Gen X tends to be, on the whole, seen as happy and balanced” said professor of psychiatry Gail Saltz. Professor of leadership and management Megan Gerhardt wrote for NBC News that Gen X is well-equipped for the pandemic for three reasons: "They've had experience riding out the historic crises ... weren't raised with the overscheduled life of millennials, which has left millennials feeling directionless in a pandemic; and are well-incentivized to stay home to serve as a role model for the parents and children they're caring for."As an X'er I feel like my whole life has led up to this important moment when my nation will call upon me to do nothing.— Rob Rainbolt (@Rob_Rainbolt) March 15, 2020
Glad I’m a #GenX kid. Im using my skills I picked up as a latchkey kid. Making toaster oven snacks, chillin on the couch. Now if I can find some episodes of Gilligan’s Island, Bewitched, and I Dream of Jeannie I’m set. pic.twitter.com/9FGCs1Cttt— John Tague (@johnjtague) March 15, 2020
I am #GenX. I have the patience of Job. I sat for hours just waiting for my favorite song to play on the radio so I could hit record on my cassette player only to have the DJ talk over it so I’d have to wait even longer to try again. I can do nothing for days and be ok.— Crille 🧚🏻♂️🧜🏻♀️°o° (@crilleacree) March 16, 2020
Of course Gen X would be called to save the world by sitting inside watching TV.— Stephen Marche (@StephenMarche) March 21, 2020
Gen X'er - Social Distancing since the late 80s.— Operative_X (@OperativeXRay) March 25, 2020
I'll be glad when the government tells everyone that it's safe to encounter humans in the wild again.— GenX Janette (@GenXJanette) April 19, 2020
We'll soon be slowly reopening. Will we be assigned QR codes according to our viral risk or immunity statuses as in China? Will we give up privacy for security? Will we manage to not get infected before the vaccine is available?
According to an Australian news paper, the downturn will make GenXers postpone retirement, Millennials will postpone commitment to having a family and many GenZers will make remote work and lockdown part of their lives permanently.
We'll have better answers to these questions and predictions in the weeks ahead.
According to an Australian news paper, the downturn will make GenXers postpone retirement, Millennials will postpone commitment to having a family and many GenZers will make remote work and lockdown part of their lives permanently.
We'll have better answers to these questions and predictions in the weeks ahead.