They stand behind the glass, frozen in stunned silence. I turn away, embarrassed for them, for us, for the world we left behind.
I have heard debate about what is considered “essential.” Nail salons? Gun stores? In-person church services? I shake my head, roll my eyes, at the world we left behind.
Thousands of short-term rental apartments — hastily emptied of their long-term residents in a rush to capitalize on global over-tourism — now stand empty, slowly making their way to regular rental listings for locals. I sigh when I think of the world we left behind.
The sky this morning was a deep blue, clear of the haze as thousands of cars remained in place. I look up and think of the world we left behind.
Some say the world is forever changed. Others believe we will pick up where we left off. I guess both will be true, in some ways, for some people. It depends on who wants to change along with the world, and who is holding on fiercely to the world we left behind.
I, for one, experience this as an invitation to consider what is essential, and what is the world I wish to leave behind.