Loneliness

And the Problem of Social Etiquette

Anthony Intraversato -- Unsplash

It was another hot and humid day during the madness of the pandemic that had robbed the world of all reason — or at least some sense of proportion.

Ben sat in an Italian restaurant eating tagliatelle and bolognese (but without cheese, due to his allergy to the smelly stuff). He looked out at all the pedestrians wearing their masks, passively overhearing the well-worn conversations…