| Brave New World |  |
By John Freivalds
So, we are adapting to this new world best we can, to wit:
- Big Picture. The USA is not so almighty anymore and is filled with some pretty nasty people. Some have suggested that we seniors accept crowding and catch the viruses and die so that our economy and hence grandchildren can prosper. This is getting pretty close to what the Nazis advocated; kill off the old and disabled. My grandmother was disabled, in an institution, and was taken away by the Nazis and killed. I’m 72 and past my prime, so why should I be kept around?
- Things that were in are out and things that were far out are in.
Movie houses are too dirty to begin with (only the spilled popcorn gets picked up) and are out. Why would you go to a place and sit next to someone whose health you don’t know and loudly stuffs their mouth with buttered popcorn? Every movie is streamed anyway. Joining the out list are: stacked to the gills cruise ships, bars, restaurants, sports events, live concerts and conferences. No one will take health for granted (until the next pandemic in fifty years). But for now, buy Ecolab stock!
People who live in the boonies and have full time cabins in the far reaches (Ely, McCarthy Alaska, Mineral Point Wisconsin, Cactus Texas, Lester Prairie MN, Sandpoint Idaho, Nebraska and Latvia) are golden. You can get away and keep the infected city dwellers from visiting you. Tourism to the “sights” will be replaced by what is now called “Forest Bathing.” Henry David Thoreau all over again. Just sitting in the woods.
Telecommuting will grow. Here in Mpls traffic has decreased by 50% and it was a no brainer to drive to the other side of St. Paul to get our taxes to our accountant where we were only allowed to deposit our paperwork in a lockbox outside the office door. 60 miles an hour all the way. Who wants to spend an hour driving stop and go to get to work, get in an elevator with sick people, and sit with someone who sniffles all the time?
Take out will grow. Why risk your health and comfort in a restaurant full of people you don’t know, cramped, and listening to Muzak you don’t like. Those offering buffets are really dead.
On line voting will happen. Why stand in line with people you don’t know?
Alexa has become a dear. We listen to an artist we like and then look up their playlist on the I-phone. Then select from the list. Effortless and don’t have to get up and keep changing discs or suffer garbles.
Online shopping will grow. We go to Total Wine’s website and place an order for our booze needs. They have it ready and we pick up. No one has to go into the store.
Malls will be dead. Why go physically to a store when you have Amazon, Target and Wal-Mart just wanting to deliver? Macy's keeps sending us sales notices but their stores are closed!
Ok, we still go to Costco which four days after the panic is back to normal and full of stuff. And they have special hours for us useless seniors and preggies. The restaurant is closed and tables taken out. No more samples given out. Byerly’s is the same.
Books and newspapers will survive because you can take them into the bathtub. Kindles don’t do well in water.
Ok, barbers, hairstylists and nail parlors are getting clobbered. But so were blacksmiths when cars replaced horses and the saddle business went to hell.
Home gyms will grow for who wants to work out with people who may be sick and sweating to boot.
Bike trails will prosper. Good exercise and social distancing. Venice, Cancún, Paris in a cramped airliner that charges you for carrying an extra toothbrush -- no way José.
Match.com and other online sites will have to change their business model as social distancing will change the nature of the first date. Gosh you will have to ask "have you been abroad lately or been sick. Let me take your temperature." The goodbye kiss becomes awkward with face masks.
Advertising clean will be the new motto of everything.
In Sum
Let’s just listen to Charles Darwin who wrote this in 1859 in his Origin of Species: “It is not the strongest of species that survives nor the most intelligent but rather that which is most adaptable to change.”