Change And Evolution Following Coronavirus
“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future”. John F. Kennedy spoke these words in 1963, during a period of unprecedented change in America.
Former Dragon Theo Paphitis stated to the BBC in May that “retail will never, ever be the same again” after the virus. I agree. Mr Paphitis also said that the shift to online buying has accelerated by 5 years. I worry that the experience of being forced to shop online in the comfort of their own home, will have converted even the most ardent of high street shoppers, causing our town centres to never be the same again. Generation Z, do not forget the joys of visiting the independent shops of New Bridge Street, Fore Street and Magdalen Road in a hurry! They need you more than ever.
Concerted Effort For Positive Change
As Z’ers, we can easily fool ourselves in to thinking our bodies (and ourselves) are indestructible. The past 4 months have made me realise that this is not the case. The (very nearly) nonagenarian Warren Buffett tells us whippersnappers to treat our bodies like “the only car you will ever own - buff every dent, change its oil every week”. I’ll leave these motoring euphemisms to your imagination dear reader; but the point is that if we knew that we could only own one car for the rest of our lives, we would take extra care of it. The same message is applicable to taking care of ourselves.
Above all, the one thing I will appreciate more after all this is over is family. Being able to see our loved ones whenever we reasonably desired was a constant fixture of everyday life at the start of 2020. However, all that was to change. In my case, after seeing everyone around the New Year period, it would be over 6 months before I could see any member of my family in person again. Generation Z, as rules are relaxed and we are able to see relatives once again, let’s make a concerted effort to make memories with those we hold dear. Ask not what your loved ones can do for you – ask what you can do for your loved ones!
Written by Ashely Carr
