The coronavirus pandemic has been a depressing and trying time for those in the United States. Even those who haven’t been directly affected by the disease itself or its economic aftershocks have had to endure the self-quarantining, social distancing, and overeating. As horrible as most of the news has been, there have been some really great things to come out of the coronavirus pandemic that should survive long after it hopefully is behind us.
Here are three:
1. Several cities, including Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and New York, are allowing restaurants and bars that have reduced their businesses to takeout-only to also sell alcohol for customers to take with them, which was illegal before. That’s a good thing for these businesses, many of them small and locally owned, and it’s a good thing for people who might prefer to enjoying specialty cocktails and other drinks at home, but who don’t know how to make them themselves and don’t want to bother learning. What’s going to be the argument for going back to the way things used to be once we go back to normal? Hopefully, the new way is permanent.
2. A lot of grocery stores and other big-box chains that remain open have encouraged federal guidelines for individuals to stand at least 6 feet apart when in public by placing markers in checkout lines demonstrating the proper distance someone should stand behind the next person. Why this hasn’t always been a standard matter of courtesy remains a mystery. There’s no reason anyone should stand any closer. Being physically closer to the register doesn’t make individual turns go any quicker. Back up! Let’s continue giving each other some breathing room, even when there isn’t a deadly virus passing through.
3. Heading into 2020, I recommended a few forms of etiquette we should leave behind, and one of them was shaking hands, given that it promotes the spread of germs. Who knew? Well, let’s not let this go to waste. Now that we’re making a medium-term habit out of declining the gesture, it’s a good idea for this new way to become permanent as well. Sadly, not everyone washes their hands after using the restroom. Not everyone thinks it’s necessary to clean their palms after pumping gas. Not everyone is worried about any germs they may pick up from the door handles they pull and push throughout the day. Instead of shaking hands, we can simply greet each other by gripping one another’s forearm or even just engaging the fist bump.
