The tide is turning and the world has officially begun to emerge on the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic. While the virus is not completely gone, and we have come to accept that it probably never will be, it has stopped ravaging our hospitals and consuming our thoughts. Vaccines are now readily available for anyone who wants one and therapeutic treatments are also being prescribed. People are starting to get back to “normal.”
Earlier this month marked the end of Soul Cycle’s “Souls Reunited” promotion, a part of the F*ck It, Let’s Ride campaign, in which riders were encouraged to recycle their Peloton bikes in exchange for 47 studio classes. At one time we were all exercising from our basements, but now that’s just not as appealing. People are craving socialization and want to get out of the house. This was a smart play by Soul Cycle to capitalize on this newfound feeling of freedom and get customers back into their studios.
People are also getting out of the house and returning to work in some shape or form. WeWork, the popular shared workspace, has reported a smaller quarterly loss and an increase in revenue compared to last year. Not only are individuals renting office space, but now large companies and corporations are renting out multiple rooms at a time, as many have cut their leases and realized fancy offices just might not be a necessity. Sometimes it is nice to have the option even if it’s not needed on a daily basis.
This speaks to the fact that hybrid work is officially on the map. It is now seen as a solid compromise between remote and full-time in-person work, allowing employees to keep some of the flexibility they learned to appreciate while working from home during the height of the pandemic. BOCAteers work remotely from all over the country and connect via Zoom on a daily basis. We build our workplace culture via virtual happy hours and in-person meet-ups when possible. This has allowed us to build a talented and diverse workforce, tapping into a much larger talent pool.
As summer winds down, schools all over the country are getting ready to reopen their doors and many have done away with mitigation measures that have become so familiar to students throughout the past two and a half years. At my children’s school, they will no longer have to sit six feet apart at lunch and eat with plastic dividers at individual desks. The district is not providing in-school testing and children can play with their entire grade at recess instead of having to split into groups. This is a welcome change for everyone!
As we transition into a new season and out of a once-in-a-century global pandemic, we can reflect on both the good and the bad of the past two years. Many of us lost a lot, people and memories that are irreplaceable. However, many of us also gained a new perspective — a new outlook — on a life that is too short and often taken for granted. We as a society are learning to reevaluate our priorities and appreciate the little things. That is something to hold on tight to and continue to keep in mind as we get back to the daily grind.