Let’s face it, there was a lot about COVID-19 that sucked. Now that we’ve eclipsed the one year anniversary of quarantine and we’re anxiously anticipating herd immunity, the leadership team at JP thought it was a good time to reflect on the bright side of shelter-in-place, zoom school and breakouts from masks. Here’s our Top 10 things we hope stick around as part of our highly sanitized new norm:
#10 – Grocery store checkout spacing. To never again have our ankles hit by an overly ambitious grocery cart pusher in a rush to get their eggs and milk on the conveyor belt would be a dream.
#9 – Simultaneous online movie releases. While we do miss oily butter theater popcorn, the option to watch a movie release in the comfort of our own homes at midnight on opening night is just fun.
#8 – Extra stretchy pants. You’ve seen the ad for the pants that you can do yoga in and then immediately transition to a virtual work meeting. We’ve tried. It works.
#7 – Curbside delivery. You get rock star parking right in front and then don’t even have to get out of your car. Our favorites include Total Wine and Target. Staying in your car also means you don’t make those random purchases; who really needs champagne gummy bears or three-dollar Easter decorations?
#6 – Less traffic congestion. This is most noticeable during typical morning and evening drives. Less traffic also means less emissions. That’s a win-win.
#5 – Patience for distractions. We’ve all had those work-from-home moments where the dog is aggressively chewing a squeaky toy or the kid busts in at full volume demanding a snack. And because we’ve all had them, we have more grace for others.
#4 – Walking outside. Perhaps the oldest form of exercise and networking, there’s just a lot more outdoor strolls around the neighborhood these days. Burning calories is good for the body and connecting with neighbors is good for the soul.
#3 – Working remotely. Ok, working from home all the time isn’t ideal for office dynamics, but to have the option to phone it in every now and then is really nice. At JP, we already had ROWE that allowed for this, but now we’re really good at it.
#2 – Sweet deliveries to your doorstep. Cupcakes, cookies, cinnamon rolls… they’re often still warm when you get them! Our favorites include Crave Cookies and It’s In The Mix. If you know, you know.
#1 – Restaurant cocktails to go. Life is just tastier – and easier – when your takeout dinner includes a little something from your favorite mixologist. Side benefit? An awesome collection of mini mason jars.
Thank you for joining us on this journey to the bright side of quarantine. If you have any suggestions of things you’d like to see stick around in the new norm, please comment below.
