Paying it Forward: Ain’t coming back #149
As tolerance for opposing views fades stop expecting others to meet you where you are. Set the tone for your own day. Choose to focus on what you can do now. Create hope and opportunity for others.
Jack Browne, Wichita Falls Times Record News edition, Sunday January 18, 2026
Six years ago, the world changed in ways we never imagined. COVID-19 swept across the globe, and overnight, the rhythms of life we took for granted were gone.
We masked up, stayed home, trading handshakes and hugs for Zoom calls wearing dress shirts and pajama bottoms.
What started as a temporary adjustment became a permanent shift. By May 2023, when the World Health Organization declared the public health emergency over, the old normal had vanished. In its place stood a new reality — one that still feels unsettled for many of us.
Generations adapted differently. Millennials and Gen X stepped into leadership roles, steering businesses and institutions through uncertainty. Gen Y entered a world where remote work and virtual learning were the default.
Gen Z, raised in the shadow of the pandemic, redefined education as screens replaced classrooms. Gen Alpha now enters classrooms as groups fragmented by conforming ideas.
And all of us, regardless of age, learned that the way we connect, collaborate, and even disagree had changed forever.
Before COVID, conversations across differences were common. We could sit down, share ideas, and walk away with respect intact.
Today, social media often sorts us into echo chambers, clustering us with people who think like we do.
The result? Tolerance for opposing views is fading.
Stop expecting others to meet you where you are. They may not be capable of it. Waiting for a return to pre-COVID comfort zones is a losing game as that world isn’t coming back.
If we want to move forward, we need to adjust — not just for ourselves, but for the generations coming behind us.
Our economy tells the story clearly. It’s K-shaped: those with plenty are doing well, while those without struggle daily. The safety net that keeps society strong isn’t built by policy alone; it’s woven through engagement and through people choosing to make a difference in lives that lack economic security, health, or the social connections most of us take for granted.
The challenge is personal. It starts with setting the tone for your own day. Instead of letting old expectations define your feelings, choose to focus on what you can do now.
Disappointment thrives when we measure today against what we lost. Hope grows when we measure today against what we can build.
Those who will thrive in this era aren’t clinging to the past — they’re changing their expectations and broadening their perspective on what others can and will offer.
Change your mindset so you can be part of making life better for others. Because here’s the truth: the pace of change isn’t slowing down.
If anything, it’s accelerating. Artificial intelligence is already reshaping industries, jobs, and even the way we define value.
The metrics we’ve relied on for decades — success, stability, predictability — are eroding. There’s no universal new normal waiting for us. Everyone’s normal is different now.
That can feel unsettling — even overwhelming. But it can also be liberating.
When there’s no single standard, we’re free to create our own. Peace, happiness, satisfaction — they’re fleeting today, but they’re not gone.
They’re just harder to find if we’re looking in yesterday’s places. The future belongs to those willing to adapt, to engage, and to keep moving forward even when the ground feels shaky.
So let go of the idea that we’re going back. We’re not. And that’s okay.
Because what’s ahead isn’t just challenge — it’s opportunity. Opportunity to redefine connection, to rebuild trust, and to create a society that works better for more people. It starts with us, one choice at a time.
Every conversation, every act of kindness, every willingness to listen matters. These small steps add up to big change. And while the pace of change can feel relentless, it’s also a reminder that progress is possible. We are not powerless in this moment; we are participants in shaping what comes next.
The question isn’t whether change will happen. It’s whether we’ll meet it with resistance or resilience. Resilience means learning, adapting, and finding meaning even when the path ahead is unclear. Build bridges instead of walls, seek common ground instead of retreating into silos.
Remember the strength of a community isn’t measured by uniformity, but by its ability to hold differences together without breaking.
As the old proverb says: “Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors.” The waters may be rough, but they’re teaching us how to navigate. And that skill will carry us farther than calm ever could.
Jack Browne is a community activist and former technology executive who believes in the power of connection and service.