The pandemic will go away and these acts should, too

I can’t wait for things to get back to the way they were before. But there are some things we gave up in the last year that I think we should let go of forever.

Shaking hands. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, suggested early in the pandemic that we stop shaking hands — and never start again.

There are plenty of alternatives. Elbow tapping. A smile and nod. A couple of months ago, a man bowed to me, like something out of “Bridgerton.” I was tempted to curtsy back.

Blowing out candles on cakes. If you’ve ever watched a 3-year-old sputter over a green-frosted dinosaurshaped cake, you know it’s gross. And germy.

Working in the office. We’ve figured out how to be productive at home, maybe even more so than in our cubicles. Employers noticed.

Kids not seen or heard. They popped up in our Zoom meetings, giggling and demanding snacks, a real-life look at the needs of working parents.

Conversely, there are things we started doing more frequently during the pandemic that we should hang onto.

Video calls for happy hours, dates, job interviews and counseling appointments. We talked to family and friends that way and got to see their faces, more often than we used to in some cases.

Livestreaming memorial services.I watched two that I’d otherwise have missed, one halfway around the world.

Expanded takeout menus, to-go alcohol and, conversely, cooking at home. We bought groceries online, tried new recipes and ate healthier. (Well, mostly.)

Trying new things. We painted, planted tomatoes, tackled 1,000-piece puzzles and took up pickleball.

Washing our hands. Not that we didn’t before. We’re better at it now.

The understanding that public health impacts all of us. It always has.

Reach Karina Bland at karina. bland@arizonarepublic.com.