A shift to care

My other hope is a bit more complex. A societal mind-shift, and they don't come easily.

We now know the value of care. For children in schools. For older generations by carers, in residential homes.

I don't wish to keep harking back; my glasses are often dirty, not rose-tinted. But not too far back, in a two-adult household, often only one would work. (Obvs this was usually a heterosexual couple, and usually the woman had less/no choice in their role. I DO NOT advocate this). Consequently, there was the capacity to care for others.

We can now see the importance of this - life and death for older people. For it to happen again, there are 3 changes needed.
1. We need to pay a genuine living wage, not just the minumum we can get away with
2. We need to assess the cost of living. Why does it need two salaries? (Of course, in change 1, we've just made many things more expensive...)
3. We (all) need to review what it is to live. What makes us long-term happy vs what gives us a temporary dopamine buzz

Do I think it'll happen? Probably not.

It requires society to and the economy to change, and that requires new beliefs. That happens slowly.

But I hope it sows a seed. I hope some people or organisations challenge the status quo - and helps us live, not just survive.