Apr 29, 2020 3 min read

Albert Einstein once said, “In the middle of the difficulty lies the opportunity.”

Many of us have spent much of the past eight weeks trying to get used to the dramatic lifestyle change COVID-19 has thrown at us. Social distancing. Self-isolation. Sheltering in place. Safe at home.

No one asked for this. These weeks have been like no other. An unfolding global tragedy, an economic freeze, and now the obligatory media frenzy.

Exhaustion is commonplace, but it appears that we are winning. We are flattening the curve. We still don’t know when we will open back up, but we cannot wait for everything to return to normal, because it never will be. This is an ideal time to contribute.

In our rush to return to normalcy, let’s not miss the opportunity to make our new normal better. One thing the pandemic has shown us is that we have digital access to each other. If you want to change your circumstances, you have access to learning. The opportunities are there. Internet connections can be powerful, and that connection is priceless.

The governor’s office announced that it would start reopening outdoor activities, such as golf, fishing, marinas and private campgrounds. That will help Pennsylvanians who might be feeling a bit of cabin fever. This is a much welcome step forward.

Now is the time to think about what the world will look like afterward. We know our lives will be profoundly changed by this crisis. The entire world will be changed. But we can determine how this impacts our lives.

Should we bury our heads in the sand? No. Should we fight against this existing reality? No. Should we react? Yes. Should we respond? Yes.

In times of crisis, the first and most common question we ask ourselves is, “What am I going to do?” We should be asking, “Who am I going to be?” So, rather than rushing to return to the way things were, we should be looking at what they can be. When this crisis ends, there will still be children without enough to eat and people will still be homeless. Racism will still be here.

There is an intriguing opportunity right under our noses. As of 2018, the U.S. had 19,495 cities, towns, boroughs and townships. The economic depression unleashed by the COVID-19 crisis is already reshuffling the national population and is likely to reshape many of those municipalities.

Now, more than ever, we should be talking about regionalization. Our communities must work together if we are going to thrive rather than merely survive.

We live in a world in which things are always changing. But some things stay the same . . . seemingly forever. So many people live within unhappy circumstances, yet will not take the smallest step outside the lines to make their lives better.

Choose to move beyond your present circumstances.

Jamie Protin is founder and principal of The Protin Group in Belle Vernon.

To submit business-related columns, email Rick Shrum at rshrum@observer-reporter.com.