While I have been staying away from people for a month, and have been watching the progress and the impact of Covid-19 since December, I have started thinking about what comes next after I’m willing to associate with people up close, which probably won’t be any earlier than first of June, and maybe later than that.

This will end, but it will be a long time, if ever, that things will be the same again.  If nothing else, we probably will never recover from the financial impact and the enormous debt that we have built up since the start of Trump’s administration.  My assumption based on watching Japan for many years, is that they will just not pay any attention to the debt.  That can work for a while, but eventually there will have to be some form of reset or day of reckoning.  At the minimum we will need to change our tax and budget system to keep the debt from rising anymore, and put off, maybe for the rest of our lives, major new personal acquisitions.  For most of us it will mean turning the clock back and living with less consumption.

The real question is how much will we change in the future?  How many businesses will change?  Will we rely more on digital ordering, with fewer physical stores and restaurants?  I image that we will, but to what extent.  Will we start paying more attention to science, the climate, our natural resources, our medical system, preparedness for the next major shocks to our system, etc.?  I certainly hope so.  In my thinking, I think we need to pay more attention to our infrastructure, medical, and self reliant systems, and a lot less consumption of less necessary things.  One question is how will we reduce our consumption?  Do we really need gold-plated toilets, new fancier phones or cars or computers or cameras, to travel, etc.?  Maybe our choices relative to consumption will be made for us due to lack of things to buy or do.

Friday evening at the end of two weeks of lockdown with no cases of Covid-19 and starting into the next two weeks, Homewood at Plum Creek staff and residents thanked everyone for their support.  The staff drove around honking their horns and the residents clapped, banged pans, and rang cowbells.

Sunset at Homewood at Plum Creek last Tuesday.

It was cold, dreary, and damp when I made these images.  Hmmm, some think we tend to make images based upon our passions or how we feel.  I think those based on passions, in my situation, are more a case of what subjects I have available.  That leaves processing or style to be more likely based on feelings.