As the country dips it’s feet back into the “normal” pond, I’ve been noticing the contrast between how I behaved way-back-when and some of the new habits that I’ve picked up since the world shut down, which I’m sure are very, very common.
Here are the top five in no particular order:
I learned not to jaywalk when I moved to Los Angeles over 20 years a go. You can and will get a ticket. And it’s dangerous. But once all the cars went away, I confess I’ve been doing it more than I’ve been crossing at corners. Carefully.
My low impulse control forces me to put my fast food in the back seat so I won’t automatically start eating the fries on the way home with my un-freshly-washed hands.
My mask is now the thing I have to keep going back into the house for, always remembering it just as the door closes. And, similar to my reading glasses, I now have multiple ones but either have all of them together or can’y find any of them.
I admit to previously getting annoyed standing on lines where people left too much of a gap, impeding the feeling of progress. Now my irritation arises from those who stand to close, whether it’s to me or others.
One habit that hasn’t died but now seems useless is that when I pass others and make eye contact, I feel compelled to smile. I continue to do this knowing full well my gesture of goodwill is covered up.
I wish I could say more profound changes have occurred, but if they have, they haven’t become apparent to me yet. I’ll keep you posted!
