Adapting to the New Normal

The Henhouse lady is an old bird. She and Rooster are having a difficult time adjusting to the new normal since they enjoyed their old way of life. #new normal #COVID-!9 #forlough

Adapting to the New Normal.

Suddenly, the powers that be are asking us to adapt to a new normal. Human Beings, by nature, adapt. Indeed, adapting is a coping strategy we use to deal with change. Our early ancestors moved out of the cave and into villages. Europeans left the comfort of home to make a new start in America. I’m sure they had a challenge adapting to the new normal when they reached the New World.

As a matter of fact, there are situations I’ve encountered in my lifetime where I needed to learn to adapt. For instance, I have become accustomed to excepting technical changes. I hated the thought of carrying a phone with me everywhere I went. Yet, now I carry a cell phone with me that has all the same functions as my computer. Thus, I adapted to change.

What is more, we humans will adjust to situations we’d view as a major inconvenience once we’ve come into contact with the experience for a while. The perfect example is the self-checkouts at the grocery store. I thought there was a drastic reduction in customer service when they forced bagging our own groceries down our collective throats. To begin with, it was a major inconvenience. Secondly, it put someone out of work or stopped the creation of a job for a person who needed one.

Of Course, I adjusted to scanning my groceries item for the item across the machine because I didn’t have any other choice. I adapted. However, I’m not sure I’m willing to accept the challenges of adapting to the new normal

Challenges of adapting to the new normal

To begin with, we are living in a time of crisis and change; however, it is the rate this change is occurring I find daunting. I know there will be numerous challenges and adjustments ahead of me. So much good existed in the normal we are asked to leave behind that I’m not sure I want to adjust to this new normal, which promises loneliness and isolation.

Suddenly, the ability to go to our favorite restaurant and travel came to a screeching halt. Then, we were asked to stay inside our house and social distance from other human beings. At first, it was said we’d only need to take these drastic measures for two weeks. The time frame has now turned into months. We were told we couldn’t gather in groups larger than ten. Businesses and our houses of worship closed, and people hoarded toilet paper of all things. Items are still missing from store shelves.

Now we are being asked to adopt a new normal while not having any idea how the new normal is supposed to take shape. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m tired of all the slick double talk and conflicting information.  “We’re in this together,” sounds like glossy P.R. crap to my old ears.   Are we really in this together? I’m so sick of the upbeat television commercial with smiling work at home people having a marvelous experience sung to the tune of All Together Now. I cringe whenever it comes across my T.V. screen.

Rooster and I develop a strategy.

Rooster and I have decided to stop watching the news. You can’t see a single broadcast without one side or the other spewing a political agenda. All we want is for someone to give us some straight facts about this virus. We’ve discovered turning off the news helps us adjust to the new normal.

List of challenges to face while adapting to the new normal.

• The lack of medical care for anything but COVI-19 because doctors offices aren’t seeing patients
• Empty store shelves
• Raised retirement age
• Partial unemployment
• The fight to suppress my desire to go on an awesome adventure
• the loss of personal freedom due to sheltering in place
• I’m an old woman with a virus out to kill me.
• Furloughed because of lack of work
• The feeling of fear and panic every time I walk out my front door.

Mad as hell and won’t stay quiet any longer.

I’m a positive person. I opted out of the American political system a long time ago because I don’t believe it addresses the issues of people like me. I vote, but I find I’m happier if I don’t buy into all the drama. So many lies are being spewed by both political parties they sound like the opposite side of the same coin. That being the case, I’m mad as hell, and I won’t stay quiet any longer. I refuse to remain silent while adjusting to the new normal.

Reasons this old hen is mad as hell.

• I’m mad about the death of George Floyd.
• I’m mad because people in this country aren’t treated fairly. Just look at the division of labor during the closure. Working Class people were either treated as essential personnel and exposed to the virus or unemployed because their work ended.
• This hen is angry about all the looting and burning
• I’m outraged about the conditions in the nations nursing homes
• I’m mad about the COVID-19 virus
• This hen is upset because we, as a people, can’t get a straight answer from our leaders who are in charge of running the show,
• I’m mad I have to hide in my house like a coward
• I’m mad about the two months of constant road construction outside my front door
• Finally, I’m mad because, after sixteen years of employment, I discover myself furloughed.

In Conclusion

So, this old hen is mad as hell and attempting to adjust to the new normal. I’ll keep you posted on how I’m adjusting to all the changes taking place in my world. I’ve pondered long and hard about whether the subject would be worth writing about, considering I’m just an old lady from a small city in Indiana. I decided to take you along on this adventure because I don’t believe I’m the only person having a hard time adjusting to the new normal.

Who is Molly Shea?

Molly Shea is an accomplished fictional short story writer from Indiana, who writes short stories and novels about a fictional town called Tecumseh.  To read more of her short stories and adventures click here.

Be sure to follow Molly on Twitter!