By Lorie Ham
Ever since the pandemic began, our world has constantly been changing. Over the past couple of months, things have been opening up again and it has been a big adjustment for most of us. After over a year of working from home and only visiting people via Zoom, we now find ourselves having to put on pants and shoes and make ourselves presentable again to actually leave our house. The pandemic has even changed how we date. The Washington Post recently published an article with tips on how to learn to date in person again.
As more of us try to go back to some of our previously normal activities, it can bring about some awkward situations, which can be frustrating, but sometimes it can also be funny, and we all could use a reason to smile right now.
Even the simplest of things, like not bagging your own groceries, can feel odd now. Recently Reedley resident Kathy Smith was at the local grocery store and suddenly a worker was bagging her groceries—something that hadn’t been happening since the pandemic started. “It’s confusing…. I didn’t know how to stop myself from bagging them myself.”
Fresno musician Mallory Moad recently played her first show with her band since the shutdown and realized she had forgotten how to apply mascara. “It was a challenge. I felt like I was back in high school. I didn’t even attempt eyeliner. I knew from the get-go I’d need more practice.”
For Kathleen Costa, who lives in Stockton, things haven’t changed that much because she rarely went out even before the pandemic due to mobility issues, but for her husband even something as simple as getting the mail feels odd. “My husband feels a bit naked not wearing his mask walking over to our complex’s mailroom; he carries it always, and still is not able to remove it at the store.”
The couple also recently decided it was safe enough to get drive-thru from their favorite restaurant and found themselves stuck at the speaker for longer than normal because they couldn’t remember the numbers of their favorites anymore. “They were nice, though, and accommodating, and we relished in our tacos and enchiladas. We ended up ordering extra, in case (in case what, I don’t know) and had leftovers, too.”
For some, even meeting in person with fellow vaccinated friends or coworkers presents the problem of do we hug, do we still just bump elbows, or what? Jayce Ham recently met his new coworkers in person for the first time and faced that now challenging question that before would have been simple. “It was very awkward and we all had to laugh because we kept going back and forth between starting to hug someone and then hesitating and going for the elbow bump.”
Even now though, things are changing yet again. Some places are bringing back some of the restrictions, so it is important to stay up with the latest news so you know what you should or shouldn’t do.
Do you have any funny stories you would like to share about your attempts at going out into the world again? Please share them with us on our Facebook page, a little laughter will do us all some good.
