New Normal, New Blessing..or is it?

On 4th May 2020, the Malaysian government announced CMCO (Controlled Movement Control Order). That was a huge welcome after being place under strict quarantine for about 6 weeks. At that time everyone said `no thanks to Corona'. Now, since restrictions have been partially lifted, life is slowly easing back to normalcy - the new normal. 

Social distancing is the buzz word, washing hands frequently is the new norm, wearing mask becomes part of fashion statement, so does wearing gloves. Cinemas, places of worship and entertainment outlets are still closed indefinitely and looks like the entire industry may slowly collapse save for those who foray into virtual side of things. Some comedians have started going virtual but unless such initiatives are supported by  innovative technology, it is highly unlikely that the physical experience that comes while enjoying shows can be replicated in the virtual arena. However, the same cannot be said about live streaming of service from places of worship. Worshiping the Creator is a personal experience which is individual by nature. As long as one can make the connection, it would be immaterial whether the physical experience is replicated through the online service. Bars and pubs? Nope, they can't go virtual. Yes, not everything can go virtual and in the new norm going to such places would tantamount to putting one's life and the life of loved ones at risk. So, that could be another part of the economy that may cease to exist in the future. People may opt to purchase liquor and drink among friends or just drink at home. 

Weddings and events? Probably virtual. Since wedding gifts can be sent by delivery services, what more viewing of the wedding ceremony. Crowds are not allowed, so all events and occasions that need crowds would no longer be held. So, going virtual would probably be the answer. 

Work arrangements? When the virus was at its highest, many people started working from home, online. Yes, it works for many types of industries except for those where one needs to be present physically. The plumbers, electricians, cleaners, janitors and all those manual jobs cannot be performed virtually. These are the jobs that would become highly demanded in the future unless each person develops the expertise to do everything himself/herself, which is pretty impossible. 

But for those who have worked from home and have experienced the convenience of avoiding rush hour traffic, more time with children, enjoying home cooked food, quality family time and the flexibility of taking an hour off when the back hurts for sitting too long, the changes at the work place would be a much welcomed one. 

My employer has made some very good decisions for post quarantine work arrangements. For one, we were split into two groups where each week only one group will work at the office, the other one from home, for an indefinite period or probably till WHO declares the world is Covid-19 free, which could see decades. And our work hours are shorter-6 hours. We begin at 10 a.m. and end at 4 p.m. 5 days week. If there are urgent deliverables, we would work post working hours as the priority would be to work safely, not long hours at the office. 

Personally, for me this can't get any better. The week I work from home would give me more family time with Raed and Power and trust me, Power benefits the most. Since the quarantine started he has been enjoying premium care - milk three times a day, his favourite food twice a day, plus treats in the mornings - all in all royal treatment for him!

Had these flexibilities happened when my daughters were very small, which was around 30 years ago, I could have seen them grow as much as I had wanted, but alas! those were days of stress and anxiety as my working hours and rush hour traffic were merciless. I would think current day parents have Covid-19 to thank for the flexibility that they are about to enjoy.

However, the icing on the cake is that we are allowed to wear smart casual clothes to work except when there are official meetings!

The novel corona virus has also brought about a new realisation - spending time with family is really awesome. Yes, there were distractions from TV and smart phones but the fact that we finally get to spend 24 hours with people who matter really means something deep. It is like my childhood days. We were poor - yes, we were but the government gave us good accommodation because late dad was a post master. There were 4 of us and each day dad walked to work to the post office which was 45 seconds from home. Late mum would swing into work - housework of washing, cleaning, cooking, going to market to buy groceries - yes, we didn't have fridge, so mum had to go to market everyday which meant we had fresh food daily. By 12.30 noon dad would come back for lunch and we would sit down for lunch together; the same for dinner. 

However, over the years we built our lives away from home and as life priorities changed, the family meal time changed. Each started to have meals based on each person's time and the family slowly disintegrated. I remember that we used to chat about our days at the dinner table but eventually that disappeared, too, no thanks to the need to chase income to support our lifestyles. Corona halted all that and brought families back together.

People began to realise that spending time talking was what has been missing from their lives. Raed and I had not watched much TV is the last 8 weeks because there is always something to do at home and Power to play with. Now with Ramadan, iftar and prayers dominating our time, right after iftar, Raed plays with Power. They can really enjoy to the maximum and I watch, clapping each time Power jumps and catches the tennis ball. This is family life - one that reduces stress, adds to the relationship and helps re-align priorities. With my new working arrangements, this trend is here to stay for a very long time, as I see it. A healthy family raises a good child, a good child becomes a good citizen, a good citizen contributes positively to the social and economic development of the nation, a good nation contributes towards a good world and a good world nurtures good citizens, who build good families who raise good children -this is how the world heals itself. We needed the corona to bring new normal into our lives. More changes are abound but the world has learnt something - nothing is more precious than life -Thank you, Corona!