I have been pretty starved for human connection lately. I’ve worked remotely for five years now, so zoom meetings were my standard at work. Once the entire world moved to Zoom, it really changed the way that I connected to friends and family and I can’t wait for in-person events again in the future.
With that being said, my commitment to no longer purchase goods online from big box retailers has already filled my heart with some genuine human interactions. I’m a bubbly person with a weird sense of humor and I’ve recently found great joy in my local bakery.
I’ve developed a new Saturday morning tradition where I pop in, buy a honey wheat loaf sliced, and the absolutely most delicious bacon and cheddar scone warmed up that I eat in my car. I typically buy my partner a little treat as well and have the BEST exchanges with the women who run the counter. We laugh, we smile with our eyes over our masks, I crack jokes- it’s wonderful.
Similarly I’ve found that the women who run the local thrift stores are pure angels. At both stores I’ve had the kindest exchanges while checking out and it’s a balm for my soul, not to be dramatic.