We’re actively in a mandatory quarantine for COVID-19, which means enforced stay at home to reduce the rate at which the virus spreads. But sometimes this makes me bored and, when I get bored, I develop the urge to eat. So naturally, I drove to Chipotle.
Upon arrival I grabbed the door with my bare hand and swung it open when the smell of fresh Mexican food permeated my nostrils and uplifted my soul. I scanned the menu (not sure why because I knew what I wanted) and ordered a steak quesadilla. After paying I turned to my right to the hand sanitizer dispenser, pressed a few drops into my palm, and rubbed it thoroughly between my fingers.
To my left was a girl appropriately keeping her distance wearing a navy blue “Tokyo 2020 Olympics” hoodie. I thought that was pretty neat because the Tokyo 2020 Olympics got postponed to 2022. Will that hoodie one day be a souvenir? An iconic Olympic event that will have never happened because of a global pandemic? I wonder how she got it… she probably got it as a gift or traveled to Japan recently. I thought about my own trip to Japan a year and a half ago, a rejuvenating break from work when I walked somewhat aimlessly around Tokyo in awe of its large buildings, advanced train system, meticulous care in the most minute details, and incredibly polite people. During that trip I had felt a sense of solitude and vague familiarity, almost like I had been before.
“Order number 211!”, yelled the cashier. I grabbed my quesadilla, thanked him, and walked out.