Friends,
Hello and welcome to Unpacking. Happy Hanukkah to all those celebrating!
Today as we approach year end and hear news about vaccine predictions, we’re in a speculative mood. One thing we’re both pondering is this promised return to “normalcy.”
Emily here. Warren Harding, one of those presidents I frankly always forget about, used the word “normalcy” in his presidential campaign slogan in 1920 as a promise to “return to normalcy” after the social changes that came out of the Progressive Era.
(Note: Did you know that contrary to popular belief, President Warren Harding did NOT in fact coin the term “normalcy”?! The word was unpopular at the time, but it did exist. Even after many newspapers back then tried to set the record straight by asserting the word already existed, the misconception persisted. As Merriam Webster explains, “...Given that this was taking place at a time when information spread less rapidly than it does today, it is understandable that many people thought that it must have been invented recently.” Well Merriam Webster, care to explain what’s happening now in the internet age?!)
Of course, “normalcy” means different things to different people. Sometimes normalcy can be a front for racism, sexism and/or classism. Other times, normalcy can feel like a false mirage that EVERYTHING will be just as it was, frozen in time. Most of the time, we think our hopes for normalcy boil down to these three desires: (1) to overcome the grief caused by this pandemic; (2) to return to the routines that might have been holding us together pre-pandemic; and (3) to get back some of that human connection so many of us have lost, especially with family and friends.
We are yearning for that connection too—and wishing for the health and sanity especially of healthcare workers, essential workers, parents of young children, restaurant owners, etc. that this all reaches a “normal” ASAP.
But some things will not return to how they were before this all started. Here’s our first stab at reimagining our New Normal.
Our New Normal predictions
Carrie:
Bringing our full selves to work: I was mid-sentence in a zoom meeting this week, when my one-year-old on the other side of a closed door began to loudly share her thoughts on teething (surprise: she’s not into it.) There was a pause, and someone asked if I had a dog. I mentioned that actually, that was my daughter, who is teething, and we moved on, no big deal.
Mask up: The word on the street, aka from our GP, is that masks may be more normalized post-pandemic whenever we’re in high-risk situations, such as large crowds.
Impromptu FaceTimes: Seems like the social etiquette around communication is shifting. A FaceTime can be casual in a new way; whereas, an in-person coffee date requires strategy and boundary-setting (e.g. “you cool with social-distancing?”).
Emily:
Rethinking plane travel: One time pre-COVID, I flew across the country for a three-hour meeting where I was certainly not essential. I’m hoping we can think twice about when travel is truly needed vs. when Zoom can work just as well.
(Continued) distrust in national and state government: Where were the testing protocols?! Where are the additional stimulus checks?? This is like Watergate x 1,000. This recent Instagram-live from AOC helps explain some of the current political barriers to helping the public...
Cruises no more: I did it once for a family trip and even then, not my favorite. But yeah, no explanation needed here right?
Tweet of the week
Water cooler convo
Carrie: This Axios chart on Americans’ mental health has me thinking. It breaks down by political affiliation, race, age and income. Worth checking out.
Emily: I aspire to have the confidence of someone who rates their mental health as “excellent.”
Emily: Hey there, Carrie. I’ve been meaning to tell you that I disagree with a point you made the other day about how Cheez-Its are a “sleepy snack.” I’m eating them right now and I FEEL GREAT AND AWAKE.
Carrie: Fine, fine, fine. I’ll cop to enjoying a good Cheez-It snack time, too. That said, the current thing pulling me through the final December push is coffee, so much coffee.
Carrie: In the what-are-we-doing-this-weekend category, I am excited to note that a risograph printer was installed at my home this week, and I can’t wait to start playing with what I can make. Dear readers, do any of you have any tips by chance?
Emily: Speaking of printing, I’m on the hunt for prints or pictures for a “GALLERY WALL” that my husband and I have decided to make in our apartment. Apparently, gallery walls are all the rage these days?
Carrie: A couple friends sent me this podcast episode with Substack CEO Chris Best. Truth to be told, I haven’t listened to it yet, but I plan to!
Emily: This is one of those things I probably SHOULD listen to. But I’ll likely opt for Conan instead.
A note from our readers: The below note from superfan Megan, particularly the reference to goals for the year ahead, inspired the ruminating tone of this very edition. Thanks, Megan, for helping us keep a finger on the pulse of our readership!
“I turned 28 this week so I set my goals for next year and it's the opposite of High Lonesome. I am doing HEALTH and CONNECTION. and that is it.”
Thanks for reading! Thoughts? Feedback? Snack suggestions? Shoot us a note at newsletterwizards@gmail.com or respond directly to this email.
Your newslettering pals,
Carrie & Emily