I met a friend in DC today and we went of a walk before brunch. We walked through a green space in the neighborhood that was holding a small event to discuss future development of the space. There were a couple of tables with complimentary bagels and fruit. Bagels were from a local shop and my friend wanted to get one but didn’t have a pocket. I offered to carry it in the pocket of the fleece. During the walk, I got warm and tied the fleece around my waist. We stopped to order brunch at Ethiopian cafe on the way back and sat on the patio waiting for the order. After about 10 minutes, I realized I was not sitting evenly on my chair only to discover I was sitting on the bagel in the pocket of my fleece. It was a soft, dense bagel, that was a bit flattened inside the napkin but totally intact. How it took me so long to realize I was sitting on it is a mystery.
I made friends with Paco – a 18 month old Silken Windhound who seemed quite taken with me. He had the most gentle licks. When I have completed my 3 month travel adventure, I think a rescue dog will be in my future.
Later I met up with a young woman for a walk while her young children were napping. When nap time was over I was entertained by the 2 kids outside on their deck. Beautiful kids with lots of energy.
After 2 walks I didn’t feel too guilty when I decided not to ride my bike because it was cooler than I was prepared for.
While I hadn’t seen either of these women in person in over a year, it didn’t seem like tha at all. We had regular meetings via Zoom. Perhaps because via Zoom people are more themselves and less of their work persona. Many of us got comfortable being “seen au natural” from the neck up. We saw inside each other’s homes with opportunities to see kids, pets and other family members.
It will be very interesting to see how “the workplace” evolves post pandemic.
Tamara Unleashed 