Crisis? What crisis?

Morning Mugs,

Well well from a weekend in Paris to potentially weeks indoors. We, the boomers onwards , have often been referred to as the 'lucky generation' or the 'unchallenged'. I have railed at this on the basis that just because we didn't get into a fucking war with our neighbours doesn't make us less worthy than previous generations. Instead of focussing on what we have never done, fought world wars etc, why not focus on what we have done? 

Look at the huge tech advances in medicine which regularly save lives of people formerly doomed to early deaths. Look at the advances in fuel efficiency. Look at the availability of services. Look at the internet, social media and the ability to work remotely, things which are helping life keep to some semblance of normality. Look at the availability of flying to far off places for many more people instead of it being exclusively for the rich. Look at smartphones and tablets allowing people to stay in contact from their homes rather than queueing outside a phone box with a bag of tuppences. 

Boomers onwards have done more to democratise and spread wealth than any previous generations. Becaaue we refused to accept what went before. And the millenials are doing the same to us, and for the most part, more power to them for looking to better things.

We have consciences and raised awareness of what we do and the impacts we have on society far more than any previous generation had. The millenials, as annoying as it seems want to go further. Yes, they can irritate with the 'we want it all, we want it now' attitude hidden behind bushy bright eyed and untarnshed smiles, but the more they agitate nd disrupt, the more things will change for the better again. Change isn't comfortable for many until it's bedded in and the results can be felt. Working for a technology company has taught me that. 

Right now this damned Coronavirus is changing the way we interact, the amount we travel, how we socialise, how we shop, how we socialise and as uncomfortable as it seems life is not that far from normal. As I walk the dogs I notice more people saying 'hello' albeit from distance. There is less traffic. Local shops are booming without profiteering (here at least). Satellite pictures and photographs show pollution dropping like a stone, as 'predicted' at the end of the brilliant novel Stark by Ben Elton. Ironically there is a growing sense of community even when social distancing seems to be growing. Fuck you Thatcher then.

It's not a huge reset button yet, but it might be something like a soft reboot for the way we live. I'd like to think that once this is over things won't just snap back to how they were. I'd like to think more people would be allowed and encouraged to work from home. That more distance learning would become part of school and college life. People would drive less, walk and cycle more. Maybe people would finally dispose of cash for contactless reducing transmission risks to the vulnerable that way. Maybe people would use supermarket deliveries more and local shops more. There seems to be so much more that could be done once this is over. I'm not saying we have to live like we're being forced to now, but there has to be a happy compromise that improves things for us, the environment and for society as a whole.

Fingers crossed, later Mugs GJ