One Good Side Effect the Virus Has Had on Us.

Maybe I'm just trying my best to find good in a bad situation, and maybe it's all in my imagination, but it seems like people have been more friendly to each other in public. I noticed it at the drive thru a couple of weeks ago. If you've lived here for any length of time, you know that service here hasn't been the most friendly for a while. A lot of that is probably due to the amazing job security we all became accustom to here. Any job in the service industry was struggling to keep anyone they could get, and they were very hesitant to fire anyone who'd just show up for work. The service has been genuinely friendly the past few weeks. You can actually hear the smile in their voice, and it's been a long time since I could say that.

It hasn't just been workers either. I was at Market Street the other day, and people were polite, courteous, and even a little conversational to one another. I think everyone is just happy to see other people when they go out. It really was a breath of fresh air. I remember growing up here before the boom in the late 90's and early 2000's and that's just how it was. If there is one thing I wish would last about the situation the nation is in, it's how people are treating one another. I hope we never forget how it feels to be in isolation with bad headlines in the news every single day. I hope we look at strangers as actual people with families who may be needing a random friendly smile for no reason. I hope we all keep talking to each other like we're actually happy to see one another. Most of all, I hope even when "normal" returns, we recall the wisdom of Bill and Ted, and remember to be excellent to each other.