(Article courtesy: Ken Brown)
Two years ago, who could have foreseen a long standing, loosely-knit group such as VRMNC attracting 248 renewing members to participate in just one of our twenty-one or so activities? No one saw that coming, just as no one could have predicted the way Covid managed to nip in the bud our enjoyment of so many activities and friendships. Nonetheless, time has passed, and we are approaching the reawakening of outdoor activities and are continuing with Roger Love’s Zoom guest speakers.
I have noticed that my attitude toward something changes once it disappears from my world. Covid, the secret agent that snatched VRMNC from my grasp, left me with at least two realizations.
The first is a recognition that, until Covid, many of us became close friends and good acquaintances through rubbing shoulders at Club events. Upon my arrival in Victoria in 2017, I knew precisely four other transplants from Winnipeg. Within a month, my wife Carol brought VRMNC to my attention and I emailed ‘someone’ on the Club website. The Club Exec responded positively to such queries with information and an invitation to join. A meeting with a Club member was also offered. I did not respond but, I am pleased to say, the Club did! A fellow named Bob Vance called several times and asked if we could arrange a coffee. I finally agreed on the third call, if for no other reason than to avoid a fourth call!
The coffee was a game changer. Not only did Bob convince me to join VRMNC, he also steered me onto the first of dozens of hikes led by Michael Randerson, Arnie Nicholson and Don Fedora. From that single coffee, I formed numerous solid friendships and became a regular participant in six of the Club’s activities, including assisting in Club affairs.
Covid brought this memory into sharp focus. Although VRMNC unfolded very enjoyably over three years, Covid succeeded in wiping out all but close friendships in just three days, March 13 to 15th, 2020, as Club activities ground to a standstill.
My second conclusion, born of the past year of isolation, is that the absence of activities and in person contact means that these days we seldom proffer our automatic “busy, busy” response to the question “How are you?”. Most of us just aren’t that busy, at least not in pre-Covid terms.
So as our lives have wound down to essential activities – basic survival routines, way too much screen time, and more spousal time than we ever dreamed possible, I have realized that our usual “busyness” is no longer there to push aside the question “What’s really important to me?”. Is it learning something you always wanted to learn, having more time with friends and family, or is it simply maintaining balance among all those demands on you as life ramps up post-Covid?
If you’re coming up empty-handed or confused, you might find some ideas in a recent article on Medium, by entrepreneur and author Michael Simmons. He recently concluded that our six vital life concerns are:
- health,
- relationships,
- learning / growth,
- purpose,
- work, and
- wealth.
For retirees, the last two are usually pretty static, but we can still adjust the first four! Covid inspired me to re-evaluate my top concerns, and I decided to focus more intently on health, relationships and learning.
How about you?
(If you want to read the article by Simmons, it’s here: https://medium.com/accelerated-intelligence/an-ambitious-persons-take-on-work-life-balance-i-almost-lost-hope-in-my-marriage-b6f0c0355c2
– Ken Brown
