Will The Current Pandemic Destroy Natural Social Trust?

When I first moved to my current location here in S.W. France, I was shocked by something I had rarely encountered before.

A sunday lunchtime in the local town, first trip to a bar to see new friends and the surprise of a small boy on a bicycle.

"Bonjour!" he said with a smile as he wobbled his way down the road. I didn't know him, but thought hard.

As a British person, this was not what I was used to and my immediate thoughts sadly turned to suspicion. I was not used to such politeness from a complete stranger where usually it would be from a kid who was out to do no good or was just joking at the silly hippy.

Time went by and I realised that this was a completely different social scenario where fear did not belong.

Kids respected adults, adults respected kids and everybody got along and was polite by nature. Strangers were strangers but a "bonjour" was freely offered at any and all occasion so nobody had to be a stranger. "Good day, good afternoon, good evening, good holiday, good health, good journey, good working" etc etc. Welcoming and warm.

Absolutely second nature and an absolute pleasure to encounter in everyday life. The biggest social ice-breaker that could be experienced in my opinion and for me, great to be part of. The opposite of where I had come from, South London, where even a glance at or from a stranger would bring an evil stare and mistrust in return. Part of why I moved I guess. Family values here are still part of tradition and probably always will be. Old folk have respect for kids who are the same in return and everybody gets along as best as can be. So human. Even a dirty farmworker or mechanic with grubby hands will offer an elbow to nudge a contact.

Fast forward 19 years and here we are.

The handshakes have stopped, there are no more kisses on the cheek. So far, just smiles at how silly people feel at reaching out and then quickly snapping back the open hand for fear of CONTACT.

I wonder how much this pandemic will change things permenantly, perhaps fist-bumps will be more common and air kisses on each cheek will be used.

The French will always remain polite here I guess, but things will change for good me thinks.

Anyone else wonder about the long term implications of all this social distancing where they are?

Bonsoir mes amis. Je vous aime tous. Bon Santé et bon nuit.

a reply to: nerbot

After the plague comes the witch hunt.

originally posted by: Atsbhct
a reply to: nerbot

After the plague comes the witch hunt.

And after the witch hunt comes the renaissance.

a reply to: nerbot

Like sands through the hourglass, these are the Days of our Lives.

I dunno, maybe the beards will lay off grindr for a while.
Because the rejected cell dna schrapnel, I mean the ‘virus’, are all over the fecal matter,
and no one has testing available, except celebs, so they can stay wildly polyamorous, as ever.

Governor JB (Illinois)
is begging for blood and he says no one gets sick from blood with this
condition. It is just the breathing and sweat you gotta fear. And poo.
Prolly an opening here for a little intimacy, some new perversions,
just to look on the bright side.
Phlebosports.

During the session, JB also tried to dissect trumps latest tweet, for political gain.
He specifically highlighted this tweet in his presentation. Yawn.

Pritzker reminds me of Riff Raff, from Underdog. At least his sign language guy
wasn’t sporting a fat cameltoe like he was yesterday. Must have had his trousers let out a bit
in the crotch because they were the same design on both special reports.

Jeez, I looked at some vintage new world trans threads just to see how surreal
it would be to resurrect a little zombie fad vitriol, and it
looks like most of them are closed, for some reason. I miss the
popular refrain about how prepubescents should be handled in their
transition (hormone blockers etc):
let the ‘experts’ decide, lol. Yes, the experts, ever present and ubiquitous.
And they are back with a vengeance.

Craigslist looks like a wasteland. RnR was abolished in all but name
years ago, and the only herb action is a few shameless fed narcos taking
names for when things get slow....Not sure there’s a dating section anymore.
Too many psychos. A literal crapshoot.

To stay healthy, I think it’s probably a good idea, just as steel turneth away steel,
to nurture the spirit, and ectoplasm, against the electromagnetic radiation web
which can only worsen as birth pangs intensify,
and to focus any longing or lust on that touchless you know what. It good, and it only
works when all the chaff is filtered out of your thoughts;
where there are no strange political bedfellows. Not a chance.
This is beyond compromise. It is expensive and has no price.

Also don’t have to pay for that Taco Bell, and in place of having songs written about
you when you tried to touch the ass....you just go right there. Like the cafe straggler
in “Two Lane Blacktop” signaling the bird....

# 1087

a reply to: TheWhiteKnight

Oh you see I have never in my life worn black silk underwear.