The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same

I have been doing a lot of walking in Denver's Washington Park lately, due to the coronovirus limiting travel, and I have made several observations.  First, the park is, of course,  much more crowded these days.  On weekdays, where just a month ago most of the people I saw on my walk were senior citizens and mothers with strollers, these days there are people of all ages getting exercise. And second, a large number of these individuals, especially millennials, are walking around by themselves in deep conversation, often emphasizing points with dramatic hand gestures, without any sign of a cell phone.  No doubt they are using Bluetooth technology to do this.  Years ago, we used to see people like this back in Chicago all the time, and made sure we avoided them, because it was obvious that they were not really talking to anyone.  These days, it turns out that we are still avoiding these walking talkers, just like in the old days, but for different reasons. Also, I have noticed a lot of people with cloth masks on their faces, looking like they have just robbed a convenience store.  We made sure we also avoided people like that back in Chicago, too.  As I said before, the more things change...