HOW WILL OUR WORLD BE DIFFERENT BY EASTER 2021?

HOW WILL OUR WORLD BE DIFFERENT BY EASTER 2021?

Optimistically, our world will subdue the coronavirus in the near future and we will be able to reconstruct the world that we have been isolated from for the past month. I am wondering if some of the following changes will start to become more prevalent by next Easter as we attempt to prevent a second global pandemic. Will we:

• Stop shaking hands as a form of greeting and resort to the “wai" as a new practice when we meet and greet people. The “wai” is a Thai greeting wherein the palms and fingers of both hands are brought together in front of the face or chest and accompanied by a short bow of the head. We often see it in the Orient and is a wonderful way to avoid bodily contact and still show a sign of respect. I think it is a good idea.
• Provide, in all restaurants and foodservice kiosks, a hand sanitizing station i.e. hand sanitizer dispensers or wipes at all entries and on all tables. In some restaurants I have been to in Third World countries before you enter a restaurant you must wash your hands at a sink located outside of the front door. 
• Continue to isolate checkout clerks with plastic barriers, build small booths for bus drivers and taxi drivers to prevent close contact with customers. Perhaps all new vehicles and taxis will be required to install plexiglass barriers between the front and back seats as a precaution. London cab drivers have done so for years.
• Totally eliminate the use of cash in the future. We are very close to that reality already. Most young people either use a cash or debit card even for small purchases like a coffee. I would imagine that our cashless society will continue to grow faster than ever and the exchanging of bills and coins, and all of their attached contaminants, will eventually disappear. 
• Continue to provide some additional protection for more vulnerable seniors with designated shopping hours at more than just our grocery stores. It could be extended to banks, doctor visits, drug stores, etc. For a different reason, the Bahamas used to have a special line for seniors to pay utility bills so they wouldn’t have to stand in long queues waiting for their turn. A nice gesture to make life a little easier for those with mobility or physical issues.
• Pay workers who can work from home a bonus. Not only does it ease traffic congestion in the downtown core but it also means fewer passengers on already crowded buses and subways. A side benefit is less auto pollution in the air and less traffic on the roads.
• Start to reduce the size of our social circle to family and close friends and avoid large group gatherings. Will we stop attending large sporting events, massive concerts in enclosed spaces, movie theatres, and political and religious rallies? Will we choose to spend more time in outdoor activities away from crowds and enjoy more of the offerings of Mother Nature like hiking, biking, fishing and camping?

The following pleasant little thought was borrowed from the internet and I am passing it along just because:

Everything is not cancelled!

sunshine is not cancelled

love is not cancelled

relationships are not cancelled

reading is not cancelled

naps are not cancelled

devotion is not cancelled

music is not cancelled

laughter is not cancelled

dancing is not cancelled

imagination is not cancelled

kindness is not cancelled

conversations are not cancelled

hope is not cancelled        And hope is the central message of Easter.

Have a Happy Easter, stay safe and enjoy your day!