Ron Judd, a Seattle Times humor writer, did a great article last weekend: A ‘Good Riddance’ Wishlist. He has made a list of the 20 habits that have fallen by the wayside since the pandemic that he would like to leave in the rearview mirror, post pandemic.
The mind-boggling changes wrought by the pandemic of 2020 — and counting — likely will stand in history as one of those great societal timeouts (previous unspeakable national calamities, such as war, depression, social upheaval and consecutive New England Patriots Super Bowl titles, also qualified), with impacts so profound they provided a chance to start over, from sheer necessity.
Ron Judd
I am on the same page with Ron on much of his list, including:
- Rush hour commuting – I no longer have a commute but wouldn’t wish our Puget Sound commutes on my worst enemy!
- Retreats of any kind – Again, no longer relevant but I have never been a retreat fan and found them a big waste of time
- Endless lines at big box stores – I also love curbside pickups!
- In-Person visits to the doctor’s office – Telehealth is the greatest! I don’t mind an occasional trip to the doctor’s office but Zooming with my doc suits me fine.
- Take a number in-person license renewal – I got my driver’s license renewed during the pandemic by appointment; it was a game changer. The licensing staff loves appointments too.
- Frisbee size pagers for overcrowded, overpriced restaurants – I will second that!
My ‘Good Riddance’ List additions:
- Potlucks of any kind – please don’t bring these back. It is a mishmash of food that most people buy at the store anyway.
- Buffets – they remind me of potlucks
- Acrylic nails – I had acrylic nails for decades! I haven’t had my nails done since March 2020. I am using Kiss press on nails and will continue to do so because my nails are still shot from the acrylics I used for all those years. I don’t miss the hours spent in the salon in the slightest.
- Most indoor malls – Ron calls them nonessential and I think he is right. I can’t even buy essentials at our local mall anymore (cue Amazon)!
I know my list will continue to grow as we resume many of those activities that we once considered ‘normal’!
After a very cold start to April, our high temperature our weekend forecast is for a high of 77 degrees!
Wherever you are, have a good weekend.
Allene
Travels with Allene 