Hindsight is 2020: 
The Accidental Perks of the Pandemic

Man, looking back, COVID-19 was an absolute monumental disaster. It brought so much heartbreak and misery to millions of people around the world, and I really do not want to downplay that. But you know, I always try to squint and find the silver lining.

And if we look really closely, that whole era permanently changed our lifestyles in ways we fought tooth and nail against for years. Now that the pandemic is in the rearview mirror, we can see that some of those changes actually turned out to be pretty beneficial.

Take working from home, for example. Remember how companies used to act like letting you work in your sweatpants would instantly cause the collapse of modern civilization? They were so incredibly hesitant to allow it. Then the COVID crisis forced their hand, and suddenly, everyone was working from their kitchen tables. And you know what? It was amazing. There are few things in this world more satisfying than completely avoiding a morning commute.

We went from fighting highway battles like gladiators just to get to a cubicle, to rolling out of bed and firing up the laptop. We completely eliminated the daily opportunity to develop road rage before eight in the morning. We even ended up giving some of that old commuting time back to the job, mostly because we forgot what the outside world looked like.

And think about the office spaces themselves. For jobs where working off-site is practical, companies realized they did not need to rent massive, soul-sucking buildings. Sure, this realization probably sent commercial real estate agents into a minor panic, picturing endless empty high-rises turning into indoor paintball arenas. But for the businesses? It substantially reduced their overhead burden. They saved a fortune on rent, electricity, and incredibly mediocre breakroom coffee.

Plus, we figured out it did not have to be an all-or-nothing deal. A lot of places adopted a hybrid model. A little bit of on-site activity when you actually need to see a three-dimensional human, mixed with remote work. That perfect blend yielded improved business results with basically zero investment. And that change in the work environment was a massive win, allowing us much more flexibility, which turned out to be especially beneficial for seniors who wanted to keep working without the daily physical grind.

Oh, and do you remember the absolute ghost towns our highways became during the lockdowns? The lack of traffic was surreal. Honestly, since the work-from-home trend managed to take off and stick around, it has been a tremendous way to solve our dire congestion problems. Suddenly, a twenty-mile drive actually takes twenty minutes again. And the air! The air pollution dropped so dramatically during that time you could practically smell the pine trees from the middle of the city.

With nobody driving, our fuel costs took a nosedive. Now, the oil industry executives probably had to wipe their tears with hundred-dollar bills, and they definitely were not happy about it. But for the rest of us regular people, the benefits of learning to travel less were fantastic.

Our cars are going to last years longer because we are not driving them into the ground every single day, and our weekly costs dropped significantly. Do not shed too many tears for the oil industry, by the way. They learned to adjust to the new reality. Having to face real competition and changing consumer habits for the first time in decades encouraged efficiencies from which we all continue to benefit.

Speaking of industries throwing a tantrum, let us talk about the airlines. During the pandemic, their passenger lists completely evaporated overnight. I kept hoping that maybe, just maybe, some senior airline executives were sitting in their empty airports, searching their distant memories for the good old days when they actually tried to treat passengers like real people instead of cargo. To rebuild their markets, they actually had to consider thoroughly cleaning their planes. And we all wished they would take a bunch of seats out so we could experience this mythical concept called legroom.

They spent years packing us in like sardines, forgetting that sardines do not willingly jump into the tin, and they definitely would never pay a premium for the privilege. And yes, it was the perfect time to get rid of those ridiculous fees for everything from changing a flight to having the audacity to get on board with a little bit of luggage.

Then there was the whole education scramble. Schools were closed, and teachers performed absolute miracles trying to convert their classes to online learning overnight. Sadly for the kids, the traditional snow day will never be the same. Now, if there is a blizzard, kids can safely stay home and just log onto their virtual classes without missing a beat.

It is a tragedy for childhood sledding, but on the flip side, all that time at home allowed for a lot more flexibility. While this might not have significantly reflected on seniors directly, it certainly allowed them more time to connect with grandchildren and other family members.

Virtual school definitely is not the exact same as being on campus, but look at how much cheaper online learning is. Paying for room and board is no trivial expense. If a student can handle not living away from home eating instant ramen with a roommate who never sleeps, they could actually try taking classes to learn something new and graduate without a mountain of student loans.

Back then, we just could not wait for the crisis to end. But looking back at history, the people who survive and even thrive are always the ones who are most able to adapt to changing realities. Like it or not, those new realities changed the world, and many of them are likely to be with us for a while. It was not easy, but finding ways to capitalize on those new realities might have been exactly what we needed.

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