Just one day at a time in the COVID era

Amid the uncertainty of the COVID era, there is one thing we can depend upon.

'World Emoji Day popped up with a grin, encouraging me to send 'unique messages'.'

Amid the eeriness and uncertainty of the COVID era, there is one thing we can depend upon. Which is that every day is Something Day, and I don’t mean just birthdays and anniversaries. Social media marketers and purveyors of goods, from Campari to chocolate, have decreed special celebrations for their products and concepts.

There I was having a relatively peaceful time on July 17 when World Emoji Day popped up with a grin, encouraging me to send “unique messages” using the “famous icons”. I gave it the thumbs down which, usefully, has an unambiguous symbol all its own. Honestly, I had barely recovered from International Blueberry Muffin Day.

There’s a Random Acts of Kindness Day, apparently, and that gives pause for thought. Wouldn’t life be more tolerable if we all did favours for friends and kept an eye out for those who may need a helping hand during the non-year that is 2020. We don’t require a special day, surely, just to be nice.

I haven’t travelled much since the pandemic erupted. Outings have been hyper-local and travel restricted to regional NSW. But aside from observing a bit of queue jumping, I’ve been more aware of how all those involved in the hospitality industry have been going the extra mile. One restaurateur in the central west of my state told me every night feels like opening night, nerves on edge and anticipation high. “We’ve rewritten the script,” he says. “We’re not sure if we’ve learned the right lines.” He winces every time someone barges close to another customer or wants to pay in cash. Exactly when is International Rubber Gloves Day, by the way?

But, broadly, travellers have been learning to be patient, observe mandated distances and stick to schedules. It isn’t always easy. In Orange, a group who arrived for a wine tasting without a booking got loud and mouthy. “We need a reservation, FFS?” The winery manager explained the rules and suggested the group could buy a bottle and a charcuterie plate and have a picnic on the lawn. He offered a discount for “any inconvenience caused”. The incident was defused quickly, although if I were in his stead I would have employed the gritted-teeth emoji and clocked someone with a rock-stale blueberry muffin.

And now if you’ll excuse me, I have to lie down. I am writing this column on the afternoon of July 20 and, in case you didn’t know, it’s World Nap Day.