Greetings and Salutations! A Pandemic Paradox?

       Since about the 'Ides of March' many of our methods for communicating with one another have been transformed by the pandemic, as have the content of our daily messages. Ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous, from the casual to the more dramatic. I touch on only a few examples that this space allows, examples that have become so commonplace they may have escaped your awareness.

       "We are (actually not) here for you": How many letters, emails, and/or advertisements have you found in your In box (and probably deleted) throughout the past few months, which have suddenly asserted concern for your personal welfare? These from every organization you belong to, especially those for which you pay dues or a premium. Only to discover, if you venture a phone call to contact the fictional person writing the email rather than a robot or zombie, that there is even a more layered/convoluted set of voice prompts ("It sure doesn't sound like the receptionist that usually greets me at my doctor's office!"). In a thinly veiled attempt to reassure us, these messages have evolved to an annoyance, bordering on insult. 

       "Please don't elbow me"..."Elbows only, please"...Earlier in the pandemic, you might recall (does it seem a long time ago already?) we quickly abandoned hugging, hand shaking, and even fist bumping, in favor of elbow bumping, in an initial attempt to gain distance from each other and the virus. Now, only those with a super wide wing span allowing for six feet can even enjoy the latter. 

       "No masks allowed, no one without shirts or shoes will get service"..."No one allowed in without a mask; shirts and shoes optional". The latter was included for both humor and symbolic value, to see if you, the reader, even noticed. That is, as we continue to be so focused on whether people are wearing masks (or not, of course), are we at risk of missing other, perhaps instrumental information? Psychology experiments in selective attention should get our attention going forward.

       "John, when I went to the store today, Jane pretended to not notice me and would not talk to me, can you believe the nerve?!"..."John, when I saw Jane at the store today she tried to come up and talk to me, how rude!". When, how, where, and why we communicate with each other, including those with whom we have a casual relationship as well as those more intimate, have morphed into statements and communication approaches, some humorous, others appalling. 

       "Hi, how have you been and how is your family?"..."Hey, is everyone safe and accounted for?-- the old and the new ways to greet each other by text or in proper 'social distance' outside our homes. "Have a good day"..."Stay safe; stay healthy; keep your family healthy"--the old and the new ways to depart (including, of course, at the end of a newscast, like it might not occur to us to stay healthy?!).

      Lastly, I offer one of the more common examples given when looking up examples of paradoxes, which couldn't be more timely: "Nobody goes to that restaurant; it's too crowded!". More to come, of course.