Once upon a time, in the not so distant past, there was an amazing world, and in that world there was a great country called the United States of America.

Every community had buildings they called schools.  In those schools teachers taught and kids learned.  Beyond the book learning, they learned how to socialize and get along with others.

There were places where people went to work called workplaces.  In the workplaces, there were rooms where people met, called meeting rooms.  People got together in those meeting rooms to solve problems and plan for the future.

The grocery stores had shelves that were fully stocked.  You could walk in and buy anything you wanted! It was an amazing time.  You could get toilet paper, eggs, bananas, and fresh vegetables.  The meat section had endless choices of beef, pork, chicken, turkey, and lamb.

Breweries were a big deal.  It was a very regional thing and every city had them.  People would gather at these places and drink fresh beer, socialize, and have a good time.

People ate out at restaurants.  They wined and dined.  You could feel the energy in the busy establishments.

There were entertainment options galore.  Movie theaters, plays, live music venues, and sporting events. Professional athletes were paid mind boggling sums of money to entertain us by playing baseball, basketball, soccer, hockey, and football.  Perhaps the biggest sporting event, even bigger than the Super Bowl, was March Madness.  The Big Dance.  The NCAAs.  College basketball at its most exciting.  And if your team was playing, it was even more exciting.

This is going to sound crazy, but there were buildings called libraries.  The libraries were full of books that you could check out for free!

The words “social distancing” were never uttered.  People hosted parties in their homes.  When you saw your friend you shook their hand and/or gave them a hug.  People stood side by side and reminisced and laughed.

Let’s hope in the not so distant future, the world once again resembles the one from the not so distant past.

March 18, 2020