Essays from West of 98: A Post-Pandemic Rural Mindset
Eventually, our country will get past the COVID—19 pandemic. Vaccines, herd immunity, and therapeutics will help us move forward with some semblance of normalcy. To be sure, certain things will never be “the same,” particularly for those who lost loved ones to this awful virus. But in the end, as we move forward, we see how our economy and society will change. That is what I want to discuss today.
“Work from home” and “remote work” have become increasingly popular concepts in recent years. But without question, the pandemic set into overdrive the idea that a worker need not have a physical office presence to work in many traditional “office” jobs. Businesses of all sizes—from the small to the Fortune 500—have recalibrated their business models to accommodate flexible work schedules and work environments. Many companies have made this an indefinite if not outright permanent shift.
A variety of people—from rural leaders to national journalists—have observed that, in a more flexible work environment, American workers can live in more and different places than ever before. They can live in smaller cities. They can even live in rural communities. The American worker has spent much of the post-WWII era migrating to urban centers and their suburbs for better jobs, as a matter of necessity. But what if it was no longer a necessity? What if good jobs were available and you now had the flexibility to live where you wish?
We might be reaching that place in America. As our country emerges on the other side of the pandemic, our rural community leaders need to consider how large-scale changes in our economy and society present opportunities to our communities. Our rural community leaders need to plan how to turn those opportunities into real, tangible growth.
To be clear, these opportunities are not going to just happen without any effort. We can’t just hold up a sign that says “MOVE HERE” and expect people to flock to town. As I have previously written, community leaders should consider *why* people want to live here—in fact, ask yourself, why do YOU want to live here—and figure out how that translates to others. It can translate in certain ways to folks who have a connection to our community and might be looking to move back. It can also translate to others who have no pre-existing connection but are looking for a community like ours. But if you do not consider why people want to live here, it’s hard to convince them that they should move here.
Once we figure out the “why,” we need to consider the “how.” What do we need in our community to start to attract more people? Is there a desperate shortage of something that, without a remedy, you would be hard-pressed to attract new residents? It is no secret that reliable high-speed internet is a problem in many rural communities. This is the first of the “how” items that needs fixing in many communities, Stamford included. More on that is coming soon, but what else are you missing in your community? How can that be remedied?
I am a perennial believer in making lemonade out of lemons. We cannot hop in a time machine like Marty McFly and undo the pandemic, but we CAN make the best of the opportunities that are set before us. A post-pandemic world is coming. That world just might present an exciting future for rural America.
James Decker is the Mayor of Stamford, Texas and the creator of the “West of 98” website and forthcoming podcast. Contact James and subscribe to these essays at westof98.substack.com.