Before sunrise this morning I was having lots of thoughts.  They were triggered by a copy of the menu for Windows Dining Room which was laying on my computer table.

I know many people are saying and thinking about “when things return to normal.”  I wonder what they are expecting?  

I haven’t eaten in our dining room here at Homewood for over a year and a half.  We had stopped eating in it long before the pandemic due to the inability to hear others and have meaningful conversations.  We have an abundance of German descendants who are also trumpkins who often just make my blood pressure skyrocket.  I have learned that it is best to just avoid them.

Another thing is that we have many new residents who have never eaten in the dining room, or at least eaten there only a few times due to pandemic shutdowns.  In addition we have all gotten wary of socializing and I’m wondering how long will it take to return to socializing.  Some will jump right back to it, but many others won’t.  We have gotten use to it.

I’m not expecting things to return to the way they were.  Never has, never will.  The question is what will the future be like?  

Senior Centers like ours have always been slow to change and always seemed to try to hold onto the past.  But, I’m thinking that a lot of the thoughts and intentions that were developing within the last strategic planning session have now been overcome by events.  They really need to rethink them and rebuild for the future.  A future of ever changing environmental conditions and needs.  Build for flexibility.