MISSING SMILES AND HUGS

Shanus · ‎05-17-2010

Yesterday was our 51st anniversary, but that's not the point of the thread. We both stayed home for dinner for our July birthdays. Last night we decided to be brave, cautious (went at 5:30) and eat pizza on the patio of our favorite Italian restaurant.

I realized as wait people, the woman who sat us at the table and we looked around at everyone seated at tables 6'-8' from us...I missed seeing their smiles and being able to smile back.

All the staff knows us and greeted us by name, usually we get a hug....especially since we ordered champagne w/ cannolis for our anniversary celebration dessert. Several wait people came over (masked, of course) to congratulate us, but no smiles and hugs.

Is anyone starting to find this lack of personal interaction in a grocery store, patio dining, drugstore, everywhere...lonely and a very sad part of wearing the necessary mask?

LindaSal · ‎05-15-2014

Happy Anniversary @Shanus .......My hubby and I just celebrated ours on July 27th.

I know what you mean as I am a hugger and a smiler for sure and I do miss the interaction with people, especially hugging my adult kids. They are both essential workers and have worked steadily during this whole ordeal. I am a bit compromised and hubby a bit more than I, so we've had to be very cautious like eveyone else in our boat.

We did go to a nice restaurant too for dinner, as we've ventured out a few times now.

We go to places that have been around for many years and that we trust to be following protocol. It's a place on the ocean in nearby Mass. Since we are not able to go to the beach this summer, it was nice to get that salt water fix!

Wishing you the best, though our lives have changed for good, much of what we are experiencing I believe is temporary.

alicedee · ‎07-25-2010

The only people who are working that I interact with are the Kroger workers who bring out and load my grocery orders in to my car.

Each one has been masked and very polite and friendly, "smiling eyes" above the masks. I stay by the driver door, and they are at the trunk....I have had a nice little chat with each one.

Maybe that was from me engaging them in a short conversation....I live alone, no pets.....it is a real treat for me to interact with a person face to face these days!

If I get a package delivered, the UPS driver always smiles and waves if we see each other.

That is the extent of my interactions these days....yikes!

Happy belated anniversary, @Shanus ! 🌷

Lisa Y · ‎09-07-2014

@Shanus I feel exactly the same way and I'm sure most people do, too. Part of human interaction is reading facial expressions and those visual cues help us "read" others.

I'm a teacher, going back into the school in Sept. I won't be able to see the smiles of my new 3rd graders. That makes me very sad. Let's hope for a vaccine soon.

catter70 · ‎10-11-2017

I can generally tell if someone smiles by their eyes.

Shanus · ‎05-17-2010

Happy Anniversary wishes to you and hubby, as well. Of course hugging my kids and grandchildren are at the top of our list, but they're as protective of us as we are of them.

We, too are hopeful that a vaccine or some other "cure" is found sooner or later. As the number of skyrocket, I'm puzzled why everyone (or most) cannot just go back on lockdown for a few weeks. I think there'd be a dramatic change in these numbers and deaths.

Until then, we're also riding it out as best as we can.

chiclets · ‎07-01-2012

Happy Anniversary.

People are cautious these days. Everyone looks around and wonders about the boundaries separating people. Everyone may also wonder if they are safe.

Smiles are definitely missed and for some hugs have been part of a greeting. It was very nice of the staff to walk over and give you good wishes.

It is so nice you and your husband went out to celebrate your anniversary.

It is an example of how people do need people, and even about missing strangers. People are an important part of our lives and I do think more and more individuals are realizing it more today due to the pandemic.

Next year you can celebrate your anniversary hugging everyone!

San Antonio Gal · ‎05-18-2017

Congrats to you and hubby @Shanus !

matty liz · ‎03-14-2011

Me too!

Shanus · ‎05-17-2010

@alicedee wrote:
The only people who are working that I interact with are the Kroger workers who bring out and load my grocery orders in to my car.

Each one has been masked and very polite and friendly, "smiling eyes" above the masks. I stay by the driver door, and they are at the trunk....I have had a nice little chat with each one.

Maybe that was from me engaging them in a short conversation....I live alone, no pets.....it is a real treat for me to interact with a person face to face these days!

If I get a package delivered, the UPS driver always smiles and waves if we see each other.

That is the extent of my interactions these days....yikes!

Happy belated anniversary, @Shanus ! 🌷

@alicedee I appreciate your good wishes and am happy you're experiencing some personal interaction. My neighbor lives alone and once a week, I call before I know I'm headed out for my walk with Molly. She always comes out and sits on her porch. We talk for awhile. I let Molly's leash out enough to come up on her porch for her to love on Molly. Once in awhile, I'll bring a basket of muffins or other goodies. That smile is definitely visible behind her mask.