Hoping for an end to bad behavior and other 2023 thoughts ...

Larry, their older daughter Arianna and
Lynne at a wedding Oct. 29, 2022
on the  34th anniversary of
Larry and Lynne's wedding.

In this column, published in the January edition of Jewish Rhode Island of Providence, R.I., I look ahead to 2023 by listing five things that I’d like to see less of and five other things that I’d like to do more of, after feeling restricted the last three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here's the link to the column on the publication’s website:

https://www.jewishrhody.com/stories/my-2023-wish-list,25834?

*****
With another year in the rear-view mirror, I thought I’d take an unconventional look at 2022 by discussing five things I want to see much less of in 2023 and five activities I’d like to resume or increase after nearly three years of still limiting what I do because of the forever virus. It’s painfully clear that COVID-19 is never going away, which is a severe disappointment to people like myself who are not only fully vaccinated, but who also received three boosters for a total of five shots since March 2021.
With that said, here are five things I’d like to see less of:
1. Selfishness: You can blame the pandemic, with too many people deciding against getting vaccinated or wearing masks and observing other health rules, but the selfishness that seems to dominate society has been widespread for way too long; it just worsened during the pandemic.
We must start showing more compassion for our fellow human beings, and should start putting the collective good ahead of our own needs or else our society will be forever fragmented.
2. Disrespect: It’s at an all-time high. I blame not only politicians on both extremes who have demonized their opposition, but also us for allowing ourselves to fall prey to such base instincts.
3. Mistrust: Few people trust anyone to do the right thing, and an increasingly high number of us just don’t care about connecting with our fellow human beings. If we want to try to restore civility, we must start turning disrespect into respect and mistrust into trust. Otherwise, we’ll be left with the next two items on my list.
4. Anger: Ever since the onset of the pandemic, too many people not only have become angrier than ever, but unfortunately also think it’s perfectly fine for them to act out their anger --- verbally, physically or both --- no matter who they insult or hurt.
Want evidence? People are losing their tempers faster than ever. We see that in stores, in public settings and especially on the roads, where tailgating and road rage are no longer rare occurrences.
Don’t think so? Then you haven’t tried to go the speed limit, including 20 mph in a school zone or 25-30 mph on side or local streets. I routinely adhere to those limits and constantly find myself with a huge pickup truck uncomfortably on my tail. Sometimes, the tailgating is followed by the offending driver leaning on his horn, and it’s downright scary.
But anger isn’t just on the rise on the roads. Too many people don’t want to hear the word “no” or follow the rules or adhere to what was once called “common courtesy,” with the result that many store clerks, wait staff and flight attendants have been yelled at, abused or assaulted. Such despicable actions must stop now.
5. Unfettered hate on social media and in everyday life: Hate has become so prevalent that it seems as though it boils over into violence more than it ever did. The shocking rise of antisemitism, which has become distressingly commonplace over the last several months, is only part of the story. Attacks on minorities and people of color also are up nationwide. Asians have been particularly vulnerable since the start of the pandemic, when they were wrongly blamed for COVID-19.
I don’t harbor any illusions that this will improve in 2023, but I hope and pray that the anger and hatred will slow down and be replaced by tolerance.
Here are five things I want to do more of:
1. Social gatherings: On Oct. 29, when my wife and I celebrated our 34^th wedding anniversary, we attended the biggest gathering we had been at since the pandemic’s onset: a friend’s daughter’s wedding. We both got our flu shots and omicron boosters more than two weeks before the wedding, and felt good about going. Nevertheless, the event  felt strange, because I hadn’t worn a suit, dress shirt or tie since well before the pandemic.
The good news is that it felt wonderful to socialize with old friends. We schmoozed during the cocktail hour, ate dinner at a communal table and joined dozens on the dance floor --- the first dancing I had done in a long time. It felt good to be around people and I vowed not to wait another several years before grooving to disco and rock again.
2. Travel: Back in August, a friend and I drove to Portland, Maine, for the day to have lunch with a mutual friend we’ve known for 50 years, and that was the first time I had traveled out of state (not counting Rhode Island) since the pandemic.
That must change in 2023. I have a sister in California and cousins and a dear aunt and uncle in Ontario, Canada, whom I haven’t seen in a long time.
3. Return to concerts: My wife and I haven’t been to an indoor concert or large outdoor one since before the pandemic. I hope that’ll change in 2023.
4. More ballgames: Over the summer, I went to Polar Park four times to see the Worcester Red Sox and twice to Fenway Park to see the Boston Red Sox. I’ll definitely return to both stadiums this year.
5. Dining out: I’ve been eating out in restaurants since the summer of 2021, but I hope to feel even more comfortable dining out and shopping in stores. Maybe the day will even come when I can stop wearing a mask indoors.
LARRY KESSLER (larrythek65@gmail.com) is a freelance writer based in North Attleboro. He blogs at https://larrytheklineup.blogspot.com/