I went out on Saturday to do some shopping.

I got the impression of a world slowly getting back to normal. People were out shopping (grocery and other). A few cafes and restaurants were open. There was definitely more traffic on the road.

It appears society is slowing winding back up.

Restrictions are still in place, but they are easing. I was able to visit my parents on the weekend, still obeying social distancing but great to be in person.

It makes me happy to see things ramping up again, but maybe for different reasons that others.

I have been quite happy in the shrunken version of the world we’ve been living in. I’m not much of a fan of venturing out into the physical world. I enjoy the pursuits of home and mind. The restrictions haven’t adversely affected me that much.

But they have affected people I know and care about. I’ve seen the excitement in people’s faces at the possibility of being able to get back out in the world. To visit the shops, restaurants, pubs and venues that give their life colour and movement (I should clarify that I am looking forward to music concerts returning – come back Karnivool!).

Those who love travel may need to consider local over international for a while, but there is hope again that travel is possible. I suspect a spike in travel once things open up a bit.

So I am happy knowing that the people that love these things are happy.

I am also happy that as restrictions ease, businesses will be able to kick off again, employees can return, and those who have been locked down and barely scraping by can resume their important position in the economy again. There is something pleasing about a bustling metropolis, even if I don’t have a strong need to be smack bang in the middle of the action.

I’m also kinda curious about what the new ‘normal’ looks like.

Will we do our best to try and recreate the world exactly as it was before Coronavirus? Nostalgia might be a powerful driver of post-lockdown behaviour.

Will we try to build a blended model of the old things we loved and the new things we’ve learned? For example, I personally hope that we keep many of the work efficiencies granted us by working remotely, and using technology to facilitate collaboration.

Or will we go even a step beyond and try to construct a very new idea of what is normal? What if the home becomes the center of productivity, not the workplace? What if we try to totally revamp transportation to let nature keep breathing cleaner air? What if we embrace even more fully the possibilities of online interaction (I’m curious if VR sales went up during lockdown).

Individually, each of us will take lessons from what has happened. For some, those lessons will be tinged with gratitude, appreciation and humility. For others, the lessons have been brutal and they may require significant care before finding their way again. Regardless, we are all going to come out of this as different people, hopefully wiser people.

For me the big lesson is that it is OK for me to embrace my interest in the activities of home and mind. A similarly sized lesson relates to how incredibly fortunate I am to have what I have: education, qualifications, employment, friends, family, my health and my home. I’ll do my best to not take these for granted.

Do you notice things returning to normal?

What lessons (if any) are you taking from the experience thus far?