Before we rush to get back to normality, why don’t we take a moment to reflect on what normality we want? The last weeks have been a unique chance for all of us to step back and observe our lives and society from a vantage point which did not exist during our pre-pandemic routine.

Working from home and laying low in general has allowed us to see life through a new perspective, like watching an action in slow motion, making details visible and connections evident. Seeing our daily lives one frame at a time makes us reflect on the root causes of issues, but also on the choices we have ahead of us, whether in personal life or that of our community.

Choices that are about the society we want to live in, discerned at a time when we have a rare chance of deciding how we want to live our normal life as soon as restrictions start to be lifted.

I believe we should seize the day and insist on making those choices rather than restarting life from where we left it two months ago.

Enforcement: The health authorities have done a sterling job in mobilising a country-wide response to the crisis.

Open, frequent communication, decisive leadership and coordination of the many arms of the state towards a set of clear objectives. Can’t we make this part of the new normal? Is it difficult to put enforcement at the very centre of community life and step up police presence and enforcement in all areas so that order is reinstated in a society which is tired of the confusion and egoism? Effective enforcement has a direct impact on quality of life, but it requires us to do away with our system of patronage once and for all.

Before we press the play button and restart our lives, let’s reflect on what really matters- Joe Schembri

Reputation:  Our national response to the pandemic earned us some acclaim on an international level. A welcome break from the name we have unfortunately made for ourselves in recent years. Building a solid reputation should become a priority for Malta in the emerging order. An open, exposed economy like ours depends on having a good reputation, on being authentic in everything from good governance to our promise to tourists, economic partners and all those we deal with.

This is difficult but possible if we truly change the product and not just the packaging.

The real economy:  The COVID-19 pandemic has brought world economies to their knees. Its impact on a small economy connected to the wider world, like Malta, is as devastating as feared. While government assistance is welcome, and saving jobs should be the immediate priority, those entrusted with our long-term prosperity should have the courage to build the real economy.

This means a departure from an economic model based primarily on population growth and internal consumption and a renewed emphasis on the exporting of services and products, sustainable tourism, and the

further shift towards knowledge-intensive, value-adding activities. The real economy might not deliver the windfall revenues the country has seen from the sale of passports but is more sustainable, fair, and authentic in the long term. This is especially so if we stop measuring our economic well- being solely in terms of GDP but start aiming for quality of life indicators.

The environment: The coronavirus pandemic stopped practically all economic activity in Malta. But the construction sector continued to make hay, come rain or shine. Ask the elderly people stuck inside their homes while builders drill into adjacent walls or young families trying to home-school with windows closed to block the dust.

This down time made us all realise that there is no will to rein in the developers. They have a hold on the authorities and the interests involved in construction run too deep in our economy and society.

This is one area in which we do not want a return to normality. We need to realise that the (relatively) easy money being made in property is destroying the environment we sell to tourists to persuade them to come to Malta.

It is making localities unliveable and distracting us from pursuing long term, creative, entrepreneurial activities that our new, real economy badly needs.

The last few weeks have markedly improved the air we breathe. Let’s take the cue and get serious about the environment.

Technology: Home-schooling and homeworking over the last weeks have brought us face to face with how technologies make our lives better. The drive and creativity of teachers and school administrations to ensure children have access to resources and lessons are just remarkable.

This crisis has pushed us into adopting technologies that will change our way of life and become ingrained into our new normal.

Online shopping, e-commerce, the production of good content, adjusting to teaching, learning and working online should now be the norm.

They are part of the solution to reduce pollution and traffic congestion, which costs far less than widening roads and other short-term actions.

The frustrations of having restrictions imposed upon us are understandable, as is the anxiety caused by the uncertainty on various levels.

My point is that before we press the play button and restart our lives, let’s reflect on what really matters and have the courage to do something about it, to help shape the new normal in our community. This is the choice we need to make. Let us make it and take control of the new normal.

Joe Schembri is a lecturer in policy and international business.