by Randy Snyder
The most recent chapters of our lives can be divided into pre pandemic, pandemic and now post pandemic.
Pre pandemic, the broad span of our lifetime during 2019 and prior years, we experienced nuances and even paradigms that affected our lifetime, mostly subtle, but not life changing as it relates to the masses.
The Pandemic Era, as we all know from January of 2020 up to the present time forced big changes in our day to day lives and living in general. The changes in our lifestyle had a major impact on our families, our friendships, and our daily routine and affected us emotionally and physically. A few of those worth mentioning are lockdowns, wearing of PPE, avoiding crowds and keeping a six foot distance from all people. Our children and grandchildren had to attend class virtually. Many were anxious to be treated with the vaccine preventative available from a few drug companies and offered at many locations. The entire year for everyone from infants to the elderly was stressful and one we all would like to erase from our memories!
Essentially, due to upticks in case counts of Covid, we have not yet fully exited the Pandemic Era, but the Post Pandemic Era hopefully evolving with the worst behind us, leaves the following challenges and changes:
- Supply chain delays from the point of disembarkation to the port of destination and thereafter from the receiving port to the final destination, usually the wholesaler or retailer and ultimately, to us, the consumers.
- Labor shortages, which further exasperated the aforementioned resulting in delays in daily needs to future needs, those addressing hard good purchases from vehicles to appliances, groceries and more.
- Inflation trending at 5% does not appear to be transitory.
- Despite Covid new cases trending down 10% week to week and deaths from Covid also trending down 10%, the need for vaccines, boosters, wearing of PPE, distancing etc. lingers on and has become extremely controversial and even divisive.
Finally, what can we do In “Our changing lives” to ameliorate the negative effect on each of us due to these changes?
In the case of our personal health, do data mining on vaccines, boosters, or the new treatments that affect our health, including consulting with your personal physician when contemplating a decision.
Pre –planning is the answer to every trip we take, visits or any future family plans etc. Area requirements, travel requirements, can vary, not to mention the availability of vehicles, vaccine passports needed, covid test results and much more.
Last, but not least, the essentials we need in our daily lives and the purchasing of same may not always be available and of course will be at increasing prices. Patience and prudent planning to research availability and best values would become needed before purchase.
The key and panacea to dealing with these present and future “Changes in our lives” requires patience, patience and more patience and better planning.
