For the first time in a long time this week I enjoyed a meal in a restaurant in the city where I live. It was both a satisfying and a slightly weird experience. I filled in a form to record my time, name, and number in the event there was an outbreak at the restaurant, and they needed to contact me.
Apart from aggressive testing, Germany’s effort to track and trace cases has been robust, all while trying help people maintain a relative amount of privacy. While I am trying to take all precautionary measures and I will admit it was scary socializing even at a distance, being out and treating myself was so good for my mental health.
I had missed watching the actions of others in social settings and more than that, I missed wearing going-out clothes. This is a new normal that I am getting accustomed to and there are certain aspects of it that I like.
Because restaurants now must ensure strict social distancing if they want to be open, more places will naturally have less capacity. This means that if you do not have a reservation you may have to just opt for trying out new places, as there could be limited spaces at your favourite spots. This means more businesses will get a slice of much needed revenue. Service will be more prompt, naturally, and if you are like me you will have a great appreciation for mildly quiet atmospheres and less overburdened waiting staff.
The virus is forcing us to be heedful of one another. Our physical dispositions have been placed on auto pilot mode to ensure no one is affected by us. We have become so careful that we contemplate how we want to engage our time and are being more selective with whom we choose to do such.
A good friend of mine sent her save the date card to me for her wedding next year. She revealed to me that the pandemic has made her question her reasoning behind the wedding and her choices surrounding the wedding plan. We joked that small weddings may become the new normal as values have been reshuffled especially when making a life commitment is weighed and against personal safety.
Just a few days ago, I saw pictures of former Teen Vogue Editor Elaine Welteroth being married to her long-term partner, musician Jonathan Singletary. It was a socially distanced affair that was held on her front stoop (step). It certainly seems that during this period we are getting rid of all that is unnecessary to ensure we survive wholesomely.
Coronavirus slowed us down and forced us into new habits. It is also, arguably, helping us to see the possibility of a new reality which isn’t that bad. Of course, naturally, there are cases where the new normal formed under this virus may take away from the building of genuine social bonds like university life, work life and balancing it all. But it would be untrue to say that some of the changed behaviour is not ideal for some situations.
