Friends,
We’re baaaaack! Did you miss us last week? Well, we missed you. And dear readers, we’re back in more ways than one. We’re happy to be back out in the world: gathering with friends and family, booking travel plans and relearning how to chitchat. That said, we’re not finished with our pandemic-era questions.
It turns out we’re not alone in this. People are asking themselves big, important questions about how they want to fill their days. Take this, from a recent New Yorker article entitled The Age of Reopening by Anna Russell, in which the author interviews psychoanalyst Josh Cohen:
“Lately, Cohen’s clients have expressed new sets of worries. Long hours at home this year have allowed certain questions to bubble to the surface. Questions like, “What kind of place do I want to live in? Or, Where do I want to raise my children? Or even, What kind of daily life do I want for myself?” he said. … “I think they feel that they’re going to be bounced back into ordinary life before they’ve resolved the questions that have been raised,” Cohen said.
That last sentence caught our attention. Below are three unresolved buckets of questions we’re asking. We call them our three C’s.
As a consumer: How should we act in the “post-pandemic” world now that it’s abundantly clear that our economy is broken in at least a few, fundamental ways? After relying on essential workers throughout the pandemic, how do we make sense of how essential workers are treated, and our own complicity with the status quo, in which the rich get richer while worker pay is slashed?
As a community member: How can we balance the joys of socializing in person with a new appreciation for slower, quieter moments? Now, don’t get us wrong. We missed social events, and we missed our work colleagues (hello water cooler convo!). But we also *liked* not being overscheduled. It seems like the rush “back to normal” includes a lot of busy movement (and yes, there’s already been a cringey Great Gatsby party and follow-up photo gallery in Vogue).
As a citizen: We just lived through a pivotal, earth-shattering moment in history during which it became clear our country needs more and better dialogue about citizenship. Whether voter rights or access to high-quality information, we know that we need new structures to make our democracy function well. How do we start living this out, today?
We’re interested in how to draw new and healthier roadmaps, as consumers, community members and citizens, with the quickly reopening world.
Water Cooler Conversation
Emily: Not to get all Elizabeth Warren on you, Carrie, but the fact that billionaires got 54% richer during the pandemic while so many of us lost wealth or lost protections during this time just makes my skin crawl. Anyway, here’s an old explainer on wealth distribution that I’ve always appreciated.
Carrie: This is reminding me that I’m very curious about Warren’s new book!
Carrie: Emily, confession: I haven’t actually downloaded this yet, but I’m intrigued by this free download: the “new rules of gathering” by Priya Parker.
Emily: Ohh! My Twitter friends have been talking about this piece.
Carrie: Emily, I’m submitting a formal request that next week we do a deep dive about Haribo gummies.
Emily: I’ll pitch it to the editor.
Alright readers, give us all your good ideas for thoughtful consumerism, gentle boundary-setting, and engaged citizenship! Simply reply to this email.
Your pals,
Carrie & Emily