Believe me, I get it. I realize it’s pretty easy to see the glass as half-empty these days. We’ve all lost a lot these past few months, we’ve all had to deal with a lot of hardship. Needless to say, of course, some of us have struggled more than others. Even so, despite it all, it hasn’t been all bad. If we just take a moment to recognize the silver linings in this pandemic, perhaps we can find the strength to keep going. To endure. Not waiting for things to “go back to normal,” but rather to define what we want the “new normal” to be.
Way back in May, which feels like a lifetime ago at this point, I wrote about some things I want to keep after the pandemic is over. I appreciated the growing availability of curbside pickup and contactless delivery, for example. And this “extra time” has provided the opportunity to re-evaluate our priorities, being more mindful of what we truly value.
Today, some five months later, I’d like revisit this same idea. What do we want to keep even when *gestures vaguely everywhere* is over? In this pandemic, what are the silver linings we can embrace?
Tap to Pay Is the Default
Particularly in areas where some more traditional businesses had previously dragged their proverbial feet, the pandemic has encouraged them to update and adapt. A prime example is the more widespread adoption of tap-to-pay. At least that has been my experience in Metro Vancouver.
In places that had previously only accepted chip and PIN for credit card payments, they’ve mostly upgraded to terminals that can accept tap payments too. This is awesome, partly because we reduce physical contact with surfaces, but also because I can now usually expect to pay by tapping my phone. Thank you Google Pay!
The Return of the QR Code
Has anyone else noticed the resurgence of QR codes? I remember first spotting them on the Las Vegas Strip during CES years ago. Then, for some reason or another, they sort of fizzled away. For a time, it seemed like NFC tags were going to replace QR codes.
Well, with this pandemic, the QR code is definitely back and I’m all the happier for it.
We’ve only eaten out a handful of times since this all started, including a bit of dim sum, but I’ve noticed that several restaurants now have QR codes on their tables. You scan the code to see the menu or to enter your covid contact tracing information. This way, customers don’t have to handle menus. And businesses can update their menus much more easily.
Less Intense FOMO
I know. We’re all a little sad that many of our favorite things aren’t happening right now. There’s no Stanley Park Ghost Train this year and the Vancouver Christmas Market is officially cancelled too. We were very sad (but totally understood, of course) when they had to cancel this year’s Healthy Family Expo too. Attending, enjoying, and sharing our experiences at these types of local events is a big part of my dad blogger life here on Beyond the Rhetoric.
Or at least it was.
But one of the silver linings I can take out of this pandemic is that I don’t feel the FOMO nearly as often and nowhere near as intensely. For obvious starters, there are far fewer events, so I don’t feel the same level of obligation to attend them all. And if things aren’t happening, I’m not missing out on anything that someone else might be enjoying without me.
Particularly for parents, our lives have become less scheduled, because our children’s lives have become less scheduled. I don’t feel like a “bad dad” if I don’t enroll her in soccer or swimming or whatever else; I’m just exercising an abundance of caution.
Rapid Expansion of Online Options
It’s funny how everything that “couldn’t” be done online can suddenly be done online now. We’ve still got a lot way to go — why we can’t vote online is beyond me — but I appreciate the added convenience of online options. You can renew your car insurance online a little more readily. Live chat and other online communication is the expected norm or default, rather than in-person visits. Online doctor’s visits are a thing now. This is all positive progress.
Fewer Crowds, Wider Spaces
While I adore the energy of being surrounded by thousands of fellow fans during concerts and sporting events, I generally don’t like crowds. With this pandemic, one of the biggest silver linings has been improved crowd control. Because we can do so much more online and because most people are being more careful, there are generally fewer people out and about. This means less crowding and more space to breathe.
Lineups are more orderly and the person behind you isn’t breathing down your neck. More people respect personal space a little better. And really, if the only thing we take away and keep from this pandemic is a bit more respect, then we should be alright. What are some of the silver linings you’ve noticed during this pandemic?
Love the tap to pay as default. Over here in Europe they have massively increased the maximum too, so now you can actually buy meaningful things. It is also a great parenting hack because your children can make the transaction and you can give a little financial advice as you do it.
Reading this I was happy to learn that you have crowds in Canada. Well, you used to.
Yes, yes, yes, FOMO has kinda disappeared hasn’t it?? And tap and pay should have been the way to pay years ago but at long last even the tiniest retailers have gone down that route. There are definitely some good things that have come out of this crisis. They may not be obviously apparent, but they exist. Great list Michael.
The situation has forced us to rethink a lot of what we took for granted. That’s why I keep saying that it’s not about “going back to normal” as much as it is about taking the opportunity to define what we want our “new normal” to be. It’s not a total carte blanche, but a lot of what we just accepted as “that’s the way it is” doesn’t have to be that way.
And while you’re right that FOMO has definitely diminished, there is more of a collective experience of missing certain things, like big family dinners and large public gatherings, that sort of thing. But, again, it has provided a new opportunity be creative and come up with other ways of connecting.