Long Lines & Memories
Hello All,
I watched a news story over the weekend that really got me thinking. It was about waiting in lines in 2020. Essentially, the reporter was featuring the numerous types of lines that we as Americans have either experienced first-hand, or have watched on the evening news every night for the past year. There were the early Covid-19 testing lines—where cars lined up for miles waiting for their drive-through nose swabs and a positive or negative test result. We’ve seen people lined up in masks to get into grocery stores and shop in one-way aisles, only to then stand in more lines at the check-out, six feet apart. Then there were the lines of people trying to get food from local shelters, or lined up to file for unemployment. And now we see slightly more optimistic faces on tens of thousands of people who are lined up for round one or two of their vaccines. It has certainly been something to witness: the lines, the waiting, and the exhaustion.
But what really got me thinking were the lines we have not experienced this past year…
I can remember with nostalgia standing in line waiting for the porta-potty at Stage Coach. For those of you who don’t know, Stage Coach is a gigantic country music festival held every spring in Palm Springs, California. It’s where dedicated fans like me gather with 75,000 other country music enthusiasts to dance and sing from noon until midnight, three days in a row. (It’s the country music version of Coachella.) I’ve been to Stage Coach four times, and love the music so much I’m willing to withstand the 100+ degree desert heat in the afternoon, along with the wind and sand storms in the evening—all for the love of a great concert. To get to the show, you also have to wait in line to board the bus at the hotel. And then we’d wait in line at the venue to get safely scanned through security. And you can only imagine the bathroom line once we were inside the gigantic venue— when you have 75,000 people gathered together for three days of food and fun, the lines and the waiting become part of the social experience. Those are the lines I miss these days: the ones connecting fans and live music.
Then there are the lines you’d be willing to stand in at Disney to get on the new Avatar ride, or the two-hour wait at Six Flags to ride your favorite 45-second roller coaster. Or waiting in line to get into your favorite restaurant, that awesome little Tex-Mex restaurant that takes no reservations—and you’d stand there for over an hour—starving—to finally get a coveted table. I also remember standing in the queue of football fans waiting to funnel through the gates for a Patriots game in 2019—only to find out that we waited at the wrong gate, had to turn around and get into another line, all in the 20 degree weather we crazy fans endure to watch outdoor sports in Massachusetts in December.
Do you miss those lines? The social experience, the chit-chatting with strangers who are waiting for the same payoff that you are: the ride, the game, the thrill, the food. Do you miss those experiences? Are you waiting with anticipation for it to open up so you can jump back in and do what you used to do?
Or have you spent the past twelve months enjoying this new experience, where you’d prefer social distancing, minimal crowds, and no lines? Have you happily adapted to picking up food from your favorite restaurant and enjoying it in the safety and quiet of your own home, and don’t pine for in-person dining at all anymore? Do you think about concerts with fondness—but have no desire to be shoulder-to-shoulder center-stage sharing sweat with total strangers?
What is it that you cannot wait to get back to? And what have you already decided you don’t miss as much as you thought you might? Think of the lines we see now, and how different they are compared to the lines we stood in back in 2019. I wonder, have people learned to be more patient, friendlier, more empathetic? Will we get in a line this summer with gratitude for social experiences and to share in the company of others? Some people can’t wait to get back. Some people are already back. And others are experiencing something totally different— an anxiety about returning to the way it used to be. I think it helps to be aware that people have mixed feelings about all of it.
How about you? What lessons, appreciation and perspective have you learned in the past twelve months that you will take with you as you move forward?
This week we celebrate International Women’s Day, and we spring ahead on Sunday morning with daylight savings. Here are some fun ideas for you to consider:
Luck O’ The Irish, Bagel Style
A few moths ago, I featured the amazing foods that you can order for delivery from a website called Goldbelly. You might want to check out the site if you’re looking for a fun way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day next week. Goldbelly is featuring Leprechaun bagels from Baz Bagel, a classic NYC lower east side bagel shop. They’ve been featured on “The Best Thing I Ever Ate” on Food Network, and now you can have their green swirled bagels shipped directly to you for St. Patty’s Day. They’re works of art! Check them out here: https://www.goldbelly.com/baz-bagel/dozen-st-patricks-day-green-bagels?ref=collection
Zoom Fatigue is Real
Restaurants are starting to reopen, spring training has begun and fans are allowed to attend baseball games, and bands are starting to book tours for later in the summer. Yes, we are beginning to see some signs of “normal” on the horizon. Yet many of us are still dealing with the reality of Zoom meetings all day long. And Zoom Fatigue is a real thing. Read this article for more info on what Zoom fatigue is, and steps you can take to avoid screen time burnout. This was featured last week in The Hustle:
Irish Music Live Streaming
Somehow we are going to be celebrating the second St. Patrick’s Day in a row without our traditional parades, live Irish music, or large crowd festivities— at least in many parts of the country. No worries, NPR has your entertainment covered! They will be live-streaming seven hours of Irish music from all your favorites. Check it out here: https://www.npr.org/2011/04/04/124675281/an-irish-music-stream-for-st-patricks-day
Who knew that my kimchi story from last week would spark such a response! The number of emails I received from so many of you was incredible! I guess it’s no surprise that we have all had our own “kimchi moment,” and I certainly appreciate the laughs I got from all of your hilarious experiences.
Don’t forget to spring your clocks forward one hour this weekend…
With love,
Amy
