The scene unfolding on the airline crew checkpoint is a stark reminder of the continued pandemic’s affect on our day by day lives. Individuals, wearing a mixture of informal and formal apparel, stand patiently in line, their faces obscured by masks as they wait to clear the checkpoint. The air is thick with an air of warning, as if the very act of respiration may probably unfold the virus. Social distancing measures are in place, with clear markings on the ground guiding people to take care of a secure distance from each other. The queue stretches out earlier than them, a seemingly limitless line of individuals all vying for his or her flip to cross by way of the checkpoint. Every particular person is a world unto themselves, misplaced in their very own ideas as they wait for his or her flip to reach. Some look down at their telephones, their thumbs flying throughout the screens as they scroll by way of emails, messages, or social media. Others gaze out into the space, their eyes fastened on some level past the checkpoint, their minds a thousand miles away. Just a few people stand with their arms crossed, their eyes fastened intently on the bottom, their faces an image of dedication. The environment is considered one of quiet resignation, as if everyone seems to be resigned to the truth that that is the brand new regular. The airline crew, dressed of their crisp uniforms, transfer by way of the checkpoint with a way of objective, their faces a masks of professionalism. They scan every particular person’s paperwork, their eyes flicking forwards and backwards as they confirm the data. The method is methodical, every step fastidiously choreographed to make sure the security of all concerned. Because the queue inches ahead, the air is stuffed with the sound of rustling papers, the murmur of dialog, and the occasional beep of a scanner. It is a symphony of sounds, a cacophony of exercise that belies the sense of calm that pervades the environment. And but, regardless of the sense of normalcy that pervades the scene, there may be an underlying sense of unease. A way that this isn’t the way in which issues are presupposed to be. That the world has been turned the wrong way up, and that we’re all simply looking for our footing on this new actuality. The folks ready in line should not simply people, they’re representatives of a bigger neighborhood. A neighborhood that’s struggling to come back to phrases with the brand new regular. They’re the frontline employees, the important personnel, those who’re retaining the wheels of society turning even because the world round them grinds to a halt. And as they wait in line, they don’t seem to be simply ready for his or her flip to cross by way of the checkpoint, they’re ready for a return to normalcy. They’re ready for the day after they can shed their masks, after they can hug their family members with out concern, after they can stroll down the road with out worrying about catching a virus. They’re ready for the day when the world will likely be a safer, extra welcoming place. And as they wait, they don’t seem to be alone. They’re joined by the airline crew,
