When I was growing up my dad watched westerns whenever he could. It was a very often because my mom didn't really like them. But he loved John Wayne and he loved stories of the old West. Of men overcoming challenges in setting up their family for success even if they got gunned down while they were doing the right thing.
One of the things that you saw in those movies and that my dad taught was to be open but also to keep your distance when you're dealing with somebody new or somebody that had done you wrong. We had gotten to a point in American society where people were just but the but all the time and piling in on each other saying get out of my way I want to be first. Now with the reaction to all of the virus stuff people are actually giving each other some distance.
An example of this was going to the aquarium. Before when I went to the aquarium I actually wore your piece earplugs to lower the volume of all of the people milling around and pushing and shoving to be the one up against the Plexiglas. Because the aquarium is limiting the number of people inside the aquarium at any one time I did not have to wear earplugs this last time I visited the aquarium. I had to wear a mask, which was irritating, but I comply when I can don't worry about it. I'm starting to look at it as shirts and shoes and mask to get service.
Meeting new people has taken on anything. In the past you would meet somebody and they would just kind of ignore you and keep rolling. Now everybody's paying attention and looking to see if you're sick or sneezing or coughing and also seeing if you need or want them to wear a mask or if they can remove their mask and be open. This is different than it was before the virus reaction, and while I don't really like the change I like the increased awareness of everybody around me. Before it just seemed like people were so focused on themselves and what they wanted to do and I the whole get out of my way mentality was there. Now there is a mentality of I'm trying to do something and I need to know if you are going to require me to wear a mask or if I can be comfortable and not wear one.
Parking and driving has become easier in the city and community where I live. There's less traffic on the interstate highways. There's more and more traffic on the local roadways but it's not as frenetic and stress filled as it was before the virus reaction. Which makes me less stressed when I go out and have to drive somewhere.
People look at me now. Before there was a point where I wondered if people had become so selfish that they just didn't pay attention to anybody except themselves. They didn't even look at me, they just acted like I was a rock in their way and ran around me. It's not that I'm slow and old, but I like to take my time and pay attention to things going on around me instead of just rushing through everything the way so many people do. Now people actually look at me and see if I'm a threat. I was a threat before but they didn't recognize it. Now I am not a threat because I'm not sneezing and coughing; little do they know about what I'm carrying a weapon wise and what I can do physically if needed. I may not have coded 19 coronavirus, but I am a weapon wherever I go. Because I think. And I observed.
Those are just some benefits of this whole reaction to a virus. I find it odd that people didn't react to the flu this way. I find it interesting that people didn't react to HIV this way. I also find it interesting that people don't seem to be aware of all of the bacteria living on their skin and what they can and cannot pass to other humans just by breathing through their mask.
But I am enjoying the increased awareness of others around people. It's a good thing and reminds me of the way the old Western movies portrayed people when they would walk in the town. Aware of the new guy, still doing anything. If somebody twitched or did something funny they quickly drew out hand sanitizer or masks parentheses I mean their pistols were shotguns). Good stuff!
