Having the mask on, as often as possible, is not just for your safety: it is for the safety of other patrons AND the staff.
If one is not actively eating or drinking, then being masked is safest for all. (At the very least, have it on when the server is approaching and interacting with you/your table.)
At some point you, me, all of us , are going to need to shift our expectations: We’re not going back to “normal,” possibly ever.
Even with a vaccine, it seems highly likely this virus will be with us for the long-haul and each of us needs to come to terms with that reality.
So we can sit around and grieve about what we’ve lost (for some people that means loved ones who have died ).
We can say “I don’t like these new regulations so I’m not going to go along with them.”
Or we can say, “Yeah, this is crappy," because it is, “but I’m going to follow the good science, behave like a rational and compassionate adult,” which means caring about the wellbeing and safety of all, not just one’s self, "and do my best to support the individuals and businesses who are busting their asses to make a living. Hell, I might even learn something new and enjoy myself!”
It’s not going to be like it was - that’s not ever coming back. But we can adapt, we can find ways to care for and support one another, we can be open and flexible and willing to explore new ways of navigating this “new normal.”
And we damn well can VOTE .
Or we can sit around and bitch about dining out no longer being “fun.”