Before the COVID-19 pandemic started in March of 2020, there were plenty of things that we as a society engaged in that are borderline unthinkable now. The pandemic has changed the lives of so many and has made life so unpredictable. The stringent health measures that we’ve experienced for the past year and a half are new to most of us. Obviously, they’re super important, but it’s made our daily lifestyle a whole lot different than it was pre-pandemic. Here are some of my thoughts on a couple of things we did before COVID-19 that seem crazy to do in our (almost) post-COVID society today.
- Buffets
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One thing I loved to do pre-pandemic was going to buffets with my family and friends. I was able to go at my own pace and pick exactly what kind of food I wanted. I could also pick how much food I wanted depending on my appetite. My favourite buffet is Mandarin (basic, I know). I used to love walking up and down the aisles of food to see my options to eat. Thinking of it now, buffets seem to be so risky for everyone’s health. Another thing to consider is that we didn’t wear masks regularly before the pandemic. The food at buffets would quite literally be sitting out in the open with flocks of people walking close by every minute. At the time, it was normal to go out and eat at a buffet, but now it just feels weird to even think about it. The pandemic has changed our whole perspective on some of the most basic and normal things that we used to do, buffets being the biggest of all in my opinion.
- Concerts
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Next up, we have concerts, one of my all-time favourite forms of entertainment, which have been changed drastically by COVID-19. There have been scheduling changes to concerts announced before the pandemic and some of them have had to be postponed or even cancelled completely (like my Harry Styles Love on Tour Toronto show… UGH). It’s crazy to think that we would voluntarily throw ourselves into a huge crowd. Nowadays, I couldn’t even imagine doing something like that, even with masks! Don’t get me wrong- I love concerts and can’t wait until I can get out and go to some more, but I don’t think that they will ever feel the way that they did before the pandemic, at least not anytime soon.
- Handshakes
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One of the most common ways of greeting people a year and a half ago now seems so foreign. Whenever meeting someone for the first time or seeing someone again, the normal thing to do would be to give them a handshake (or some other kind of physical greeting). It’s something that we’ve done for decades, but now, it’s one of the last things we plan to do. I never shake hands anymore, but before the pandemic, I would, especially when I first met someone. Now, I can’t even remember the last time I shook someone’s hand. It’s all up to personal preference and what you’re comfortable with, but it’s just crazy to think about how frequently we would shake hands before COVID-19.
There are so many ways that this pandemic has changed the way we function. I know that for me, it’s been such an inconvenience in so many ways but has also taught me many lessons. Although we’re still deep in this pandemic, things seem to be looking up. I can’t wait to get back to some normalcy and finally see the light at the end of this (very long) tunnel.