Living in the Present

“When is everything going to be back to normal?  Can we just fast forward to that point?”

Have you ever found yourself asking that question?  I have, several times.  I was just sharing that question with some friends recently.  I doubt I’m alone in that sentiment.  It seems like many of us long for the good old days of 2019, before the Covid Era, and would like for 2020 to just end already, so that things will be “back to normal.”  (And don’t even get me started on the phrase “the new normal”, the most overused phrase of 2020.  I refuse to accept that things will be this way for the entire rest of our lives, so the phrase “the new normal” aggravates me to no end, but I digress.)  Of course, even when 2021 does come around in less than three months, it’s still certain that things will still not be back to normal by that time.  I’m not sure why January 1, 2021 seems to be some magical date in which things will return to normal – a date in which a vaccine will be available, coronavirus will suddenly be eradicated, there will be no need to wear masks or socially distance, and everyone gets along with each other.

This brings me back to my question – when is that going to happen?  When is everything going to be back to normal?  And can we just skip to that point?  In pondering this question, I was reminded of a couple of movies that underscore the importance of being careful what you wish for and appreciating the moment we live in now.

The Letter E

Last month, our company went through our mid-year review process for performance evaluation.  The way the mid-year reviews used to work at my job, we used to have to complete a self-evaluation, while our manager completed their own evaluation of us and communicated their review to us in a one-on-one meeting.  And although our process has changed over the years, there was one time a while back when I did have to complete a self-evaluation, and I decided to see if I could do one without using the letter E.