Ever since the rise of Amazon, online vending, and communication technology improvements, brick and mortar retail has suffered, the shipping industry is booming, and people can do more from the convenience of their homes and on their own schedule than ever before. Don’t feel like grocery shopping? Plenty of chains offer delivery. Don’t want to go out to your favorite local restaurant? I bet they have GrubHub or their own delivery. There was a rumor at one point of major movie studios grudgingly offering the chance to stream new releases into your home (for a significant price) to allow people to watch current films without having to go to the theater. Don’t feel like going outside for a run? If you have a newer-model treadmill, you may be able to use built-in scenic runs on your screen. In fact, some have the wireless technology to show other people running the same program at the same time so you can “compete” against them if you so choose.
As someone who doesn’t like dealing with crowds and bad traffic (I do some grocery shopping late on weeknights to avoid the Saturday rush), it’s ironic that I also express concern about how walling ourselves off in our homes and comfort zones may have an unfortunate effect. For example, in Colorado we have mail-in ballots for our elections. This is convenient on a number of levels yet I wonder about the unintended effects of not seeing your fellow voters at the polls. By waiting with strangers from your locality to cast your vote, you get a healthy reminder that they’re not mysterious beings conspiring to get “the other person” to win, they’re people from your community who see through a different lens than you.
No one likes crowded supermarkets, or sitting in a long line of traffic after a sporting event, or waiting forty minutes for the “next available table.” And yet, it exposes us to a variety of people and is a healthy reminder of who we are as a community.
As we work to combat Coronavirus, some regions and cities that have been affected are shutting down mass gatherings and that is an important step to help ensure we remain healthy. Yet, while the worst impact of Coronavirus is on people’s health and our day-to-day operating, an additional consequence, even if it’s necessary to protect ourselves, may be that we are further shut off from each other. We all hope that this virus will be contained and eradicated as soon as possible so that we can continue to go on with our lives as we did, or close to it. But, assuming there may be future global health concerns, I wonder how some industries will adapt and if this need/desire to quarantine ourselves will create an atmosphere where more in-home technology for work, shopping, and entertainment will blossom. We may have to go out even less than we do now.
For the 2019 version of the New York Marathon, the organizers offered a “virtual” qualifying process where you could pay them and a different marathon to run the latter’s race while gaining entry into New York. That’s not too far removed from having people virtually run a race on a treadmill. They probably wouldn’t be allowed to qualify for winning awards but it’s an option many people might be interested in pursuing.
Unlike many social activities, running can be done in the open air and either by yourself or with one or more other people. But, as you’re not in a closed environment and you’re generally not handling the same equipment, it may be one activity that can persist while the rest of our lives get bubbled in. And, when you run outside, you get a good, sometimes long, view of your community and what’s going on around you. If you’re running with people, you’re getting solid interaction and less risk of a superficial glance.
As we move through this current health concern, our precautions may mean less meaningful human interaction and we may have to continue to operate this way going forward. Given the importance of staying healthy, it’s a necessary step though we will want to find ways to continue to recognize humanity around us. For now running remains free, and also allows us to see the community around us.
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