Everybody is nicer now? | I (finally) went outside

I went outside today.

That's not the exciting part.

Okay, maybe it is.

Especially when you haven't left the house in days (which also seems to feel like years). The effect is amplified when you're the kind of person who hates staying in all weekend, let alone for days.

But I did notice one big thing though- everybody seems nicer? Maybe it's just because we've all been doing this social distancing thing so well that we miss the sight of our fellow humans. Or maybe it just takes a pandemic to bring out the best in (some) people. Either way, it was nice to get out and see the sun, at least for a while.

It's crazy to think that this could go on for months. But it's nice to see that in the face of all this, people are still trying to be nice to others. With some notable exceptions, it's comforting to see that stores are making provisions for the elderly and other vulnerable populations among us, distilleries across the country are making hand sanitizer instead of beer, and comedians are still keeping the mood light.

Though it's easy to become overly focused on the seemingly chaotic state of the world. But despite how it may seem, it's not all doom-and-gloom right now. Though things obviously needed to change to "flatten the curve", some of the nicer aspects of life don't have to disappear.

There's still plenty of entertaining stuff on the internet.

You can still call people and catch up instead of seeing them in person.

You can still say hi to people you pass on the street.

Chances are it'll make everybody feel better, just for having had some human interaction. We are social creatures, after all.

As week two of social distancing starts up, it's easy to wonder if this will ever end. Reality is, it will. But in the meantime, try to be somewhat uplifted about it. Yes, it sucks not being able to go to beaches for spring break (if you're in a climate that affords you that luxury). Yes, it sucks not being able to go to concerts or hockey games. But this isn't all for nothing- we're doing this for a reason. There's plenty of things to do and ways to keep in touch with people. Yes, this undeniably changed life and impacted virtually every human on the planet. Change doesn't all have to be for the worse, and eventually, the world will go back to the way it was (more or less). But for the time being, stay positive- if kind interactions with random strangers on the street taught me anything, it's that we're really not as doomed as we may think.