The Internet Is No Substitute for Real Life

Places such as salons, breweries, and gyms not only provide us with goods and services, but also vital spaces to craft friendships, trust, and empathy.

A barber wearing a face mask and protective shield gives a client a haircut at a barbershop in Prague, Czech Republic, on May 11, 2020. Gabriel Kuchta/Getty Images

I am not one who cries easily. My wife had to inform me that the ending to “Old Yeller” was not a comedy. Nonetheless, when word came down via social media that the Duvall Tavern was reopening after a three-month hiatus, tears welled up in my eyes, immediately and involuntarily.

The Duvall Tavern is a pub and restaurant in a small town just northeast of Seattle. It seats a maximum capacity of about 60 indoors, and probably 90 when the patio opens in summer. The owners offer up a dozen craft and mass-produced beers, a standard liquor selection, and basic bar fare with some unique dishes rotated weekly.