Together

A tentative step. Into the room. A few others were already there. What were they doing? What would the new entrant do? Some look at others. A few avert their eyes, avoiding all contact. How will the social ice be broken?

A man in his 60s – OK, maybe his 70s – shuffles in and sits. Pulls out his phone. Scrolls through a few screens then stops. Looks puzzled. Shakes the phone. Taps it a few times. Then huffs loudly. A young kid – maybe 7 or 8 – walks up to the guy and asks to see the phone. Asks the man what he wants to do. The kid fingers the phone a bit and hands it back to the older man. He smiles. He works the phone a bit more then pats the kid on the head with thanks.

People begin leaning closer to another person and comment on what just happened. Within two minutes the room is a hubbub of chatter and a few giggles.

Repeat this scene countless times on the same day throughout a nation. People want to commune with one another. They look for ways to do so. It happens.

We are social beings.

The three of us walk into a restaurant. We park in handicapped with our approved windshield card hanging from the rearview mirror. The parking spot is also a numbered curbside pickup space. Several such spaces are arranged in the parking lot. Inside food order pickup stations are arranged by vendor – Grubhub, Door Dash, etc. – and self-serve, too. Next to these tables is the greeter station. A young woman asks us how many and leads us to a table. The restaurant has a few tables occupied. Some patrons are leaving while newcomers arrive to be seated.

The restaurant is abuzz with activity. Staff flits from here to there. Mostly the activity is preparing orders for pickup. Unseen diners arranging dinners to go and a local business happily fulfilling the requests. This is the new normal for this restaurant. It will likely change to in person service in the future but for now it is a mix of service. Their food is in demand. It is good. It is tasty. It remains a treat for the consumer.

Yearning for gathering near the end of a pandemic is evident. Mixing with others is slowly returning.

A graduation, wedding, anniversary, birthday. The gatherings are called. They are prepared. Where once 20 came to celebrate, now only six or eight. But it is a beginning. Confidence is returning. Families are gathering to be with one another. Being apart has not been easy. First phone calls, then face time, then zoom meetings. Finally masked meetups of short duration. Then inoculations, mass vaccinations and the gatherings increase in frequency, numbers too.

We are assembling. We gather. We return to…

June 2, 2021