Today is the beginning of Memorial Day weekend 2021! Cities across the country, including New Orleans, are opening up from the long pandemic hibernation. As a single symbol of the re-opening of society, bars in New Orleans can once again stay open all night with no “last call.”
Americans are feeling a new sense of freedom after 15 months of a physical and emotional lockdown and you feel it everywhere you go.
It is estimated that 25 million people will be traveling by air this weekend - the largest number since the pandemic lockdown hit last year. According to AAA, over 37 million people will be traveling more than 50 miles from home this weekend, which is a 60% increase from last year. Even with gas prices rising, motorists are planning to travel.
From New Orleans, the most popular destinations are to the east along the Gulf Coast beaches through Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. The beaches will be packed this weekend, and the ambiance will reflect the new sense of freedom that has resulted primarily from the number of people getting vaccinated for COVID-19.
In a suburb of New Orleans, there will be a Mardi Gras parade after Mardi Gras, St. Patrick’s Day, and other traditional parades were cancelled. Life is returning.
Backyard BBQs and boating on lakes and rivers will appear to be back to normal. And you can’t turn on the radio or TV without being bombarded with countless commercials promoting sales - as if buying something on sale is the perfect way to remember those who gave their lives for the country.
The freedom that is being felt this Memorial Day weekend should be embraced and celebrated. One positive thing that can come from the strict mandates and lockdowns from the coronavirus pandemic is a new appreciation for the freedoms that we so often take for granted.
As we celebrate this Memorial Day weekend - the emotional beginning of summer - let us take time to recognize that the freedom to travel or to have a backyard BBQ this weekend is because of the men and women that lost their lives fighting for our freedoms.
