When the world ground to a halt, you could get by on the bare minimum. The days stopped being dictated by a need to do more. Whiling away a weekend on Netflix was not only accepted but also encouraged. A testament to your willpower, in fact—by resisting the temptations of the outdoors, you were carrying out a public service.
Those days are going away now, and a return to normal—although it’s a cause for celebration— comes accompanied by a sobering truth. Life before the pandemic wasn’t free of complaints. Commutes are making a comeback, dressing down is fading out of fashion, and things feel as they did at the end of 2019: confusing.
As we step out into this faster world—with busy roads and people who walk with a purpose—getting up to speed can be a real challenge. Racing driver Claire Jedrek likens life to the asphalt. “If there’s a big turn coming up and you go full speed ahead, you’ll never make it,” she says. “You’ll get understeer and crash into something.”
This story is from the September 2021 edition of Esquire Singapore.
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This story is from the September 2021 edition of Esquire Singapore.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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