Things May Never Go Back to Normal.
Things are starting to get back to normal for sure. It feels good to just go into public and it feel like a daily routine again. However, there are still so many things that remind me that we may never get back to what we used to call normal.
It's so weird to think twice about shaking hands now. I grew up in west Texas. A firm handshake comes with every greeting, most business decisions, and most formal goodbyes. Shaking hands is second nature to me. I do it without thinking. I even shake hands with people's kids when I meet them. Now, there's a slight hesitation. I've reached in for a handshake on a few occasions and got the ole fist bump instead. Which is fine. I completely understand. It doesn't offend me, but I find myself hesitating to reach out for a handshake now for fear that I'll make someone else feel obligated to do something they're uncomfortable with. I remember when I was a kid hearing that Howie Mandel didn't shake hands because of germs. That was so weird to me. Now, it's just normal.
Another thing that I think may stick around for a while is masks. Businesses are all making employees wear them. It's so weird never seeing your waitresses face. One thing I don't think a lot of people understand is the reason all of this was taken so far. Accountability. That's why the president left it up to the governors to re-open. That's why the government shut down. It's why businesses shut down. It's why we're still wearing masks. It's why capacity is being regulated. It's also why we can have large protests and not concerts. No one is accountable or able to get sued at a protest if people catch Covid. At a concert the venue, band, and everyone else involved open themselves up to legal action. There we have it. The real reason all of this happened and why it's lasting so long. No one wants to get sued. Social media has given everyone the power to have a global voice. Any business is one viral video away from trouble. Because of that, I'm honestly not sure if we'll ever get back to normal. There will always be someone waiting to find a way to make an easy buck or at very least, someone who craves attention so badly, they'll take any opportunity they can to get it. It's the same reason my job is in danger anytime I go in public. It's the same for anyone in the public eye. If your job requires you to be a public figure, every time you go out, it's an opportunity for someone to get 15 minutes in the spotlight by catching you doing something that might offend someone. All the while never stopping to think that we have a family to support. We have feelings. We have people relying on us. It's a weird way to live. In that sense, I get it. I completely understand why business owners and government officials chose to do what they did. I just hope they can somehow find a way to balance this out and help us all get back to what we once called normal.