It’s happening. Slowly but surely, the world is starting to open back up. And while we are all eager to feel “normal” again, it’s imperative that we take some lessons with us.

• Human contact is a must, no matter how much of an introvert you claim to be. 

• Medical personnel sacrifice so much. 

• Choosing a mate should be based on how much time you all can spend together alone. 

• Teachers are human and superheroes. 

• Essential workers are also the biscuit guy at Hardee’s, the coffee girl at McDonald’s, and the fry person at Wendy’s…..and they are grossly underpaid. 

• “Church” worship can happen in jeans, pajamas, in a park, in a car, in a building or on a mountain. There is no one road or one way to God. 

• The Performing Arts is key to human survival. 

• Too much emphasis is put on one way to educate kids. 

• “Milestones” should be set up to be modified. 

• It’s actually possible to have “good church” in less than two hours. 

• The I.T. person matters….no seriously they matter 

• Meetings are just as effective via Zoom. 

• That Zoom could’ve been an email. 

• Virtual School and Homeschooling are two completely different things. 

• Mute!

• New skills can be learned when there is time. 

• Burnout was looming in February of 2020. 

• YouTube tutorials are a legitimate way to be educated. 

• Sometimes, the patient doesn’t actually have to leave home. 

• The I.T. person matters…not a repeat, just worth repeating. 

• The human hands that single handedly saved churches belonged to the media team. 

• Kids can carry adult level stress. 

• Family time is necessary. 

• Fulfillment can be found in the simple act of people driving by and waving out of the window. 

• Everyone needs to be validated. 

• The best sermons can be preached during an impromptu live at midnight.

• Selflessness can be just as simple as a tiny piece of cloth. 

• Americans can politicize literally anything…like a tiny piece of cloth. 

• Creatives are essential workers too!

• Beauty standards can change when the playing field is leveled. 

• America is not all that great for certain groups of people. 

• The old friend that hasn’t been seen in 20 years is a FaceTime call away. 

• People need hugs. 

• Finding your tribe matters. Staying in touch with them is imperative.

• Talking through video chat reveals more about who a person is. 

• Spending alone time with yourself is necessary for reevaluation. 

• Weddings can be just as beautiful with the couple, the preacher, and a witness. 

• Insisting on having an event in person so “people will be there” reveals the event planner’s true motives. 

• People need to get out more. 

• “Casual Friday” more than one day a week helps employee morale. 

• The employee that’s been begging to work at home is a productivity rockstar in their pajamas. 

• Music from the heart can reach through screens. 

• That thing that can’t be done actually can be done when there’s no other choice. 

• Live Theatre is a necessary art form. 

• Families will pay to be entertained from the comfort of their own homes. 

• Virtual events take just as much planning. 

• The internet is unforgiving. 

• Unplugging is absolutely necessary. 

• Traditional education needs to be revamped and restructured. 

• Life is short and should never be taken for granted. 

The worst possible thing we can do is collectively forget all that we faced during these times and what we learned from it. Learning without change will take us back to exactly where we started…and none of us should be trying to claw back to that kind of “normal.”

You know I’m right.

-Danita LaShelle