Russ's Ravings: We Need To Shift Out Of 'Pandemic Gear'

Editor's note: The following is Patch Field Editor Russ Crespolini's, hopefully, weekly column. It is reflective of his opinion alone.

Over the last 13 months we have all been forced to slow down as the COVID-19 pandemic swept across New Jersey and changed our daily way of life. Now, as things start to reopen and activities start up again we need to remember that we are still residents of the Garden State and with that comes a certain pace we all need to keep up with.

Don't pretend you aren't aware of what I am talking about. Anyone who has traveled knows that the pace outside of New Jersey is very different than the pace within our borders and we all have an unwritten responsibility to to do our part to keep up the pace.

For example: parents dropping their kids off at school need to up their game. Children are heading into school more and more and that means we need to get the efficiency to maximum. Your child needs to be ready like a paratrooper preparing to make a halo jump.

When that door opens I want to see kids popping out, on a hop, and hustling into school.

I am tired of sitting behind a sea of Lexus SUVs where no one realizes they have arrived until a staff member OPENS THE DOOR.

Then suddenly little Hunter, or Tucker, or Chadworthy has to put on his shoes or jacket or suddenly lacks the skills to remove their seatbelt...or needs to finish their Pop Tart.

While this might have been an acceptable, pandemic speed response, we are going to need to get out of that gear. Because you are holding up the line for the rest of us who need to get on with our day. Our lives are resuming, and we need to speed up to match it.

You can see examples of pandemic pace in many places. Grocery store? Now people are log jamming the one way aisles with their carts and reading over ingredients like they've never seen a box of linguine before. Your trip to the food store needs to be like it was in 2019. Like the lost episode of "Supermarket Sweep" or Guy's Grocery Games." You should be flying through the store tossing your items into the cart at breakneck speed.

Your time at the self-checkout should be a practiced, battle-planned model of efficiency. You should have all of your cold stuff ready to go in bag one, for example. There is no excuse for causing a backup because you are adjusting things after the fact.

As the weather warms up it certainly is a nice time to enjoy our many natural resources like our parks and beaches. You know what it is not a time for? Mall walking and strolling as if you are the only person in existence.

Walk with purpose when you are walking so that others can get where they want to go. The pace of the Garden State is one of the things we are known for, like having the best pizza in the world. And while last year was a time to slow everything down, now is the time to ramp back up to speed.

So we can avoid pulling a muscle when things go back to normal completely.

Russ Crespolini is a Field Editor for Patch Media, adjunct professor and college newspaper advisor. His columns have won awards from the National Newspaper Association and the New Jersey Press Association.

He writes them in hopes of connecting with readers and engaging with them. And because it is cheaper than therapy. He can be reached at russ.crespolini@patch.com