Once More, Unto the Breach

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Mrs. Whatsit is traveling today, but she’ll be back next week.

Speaking of which, she and her spouse love to travel. It’s one of the things that COVID took from them as, for the first time since I’ve known them, they stayed home all year. That was difficult, and, now, fully vaccinated, they’ve been looking forward to resuming their globe-trotting.

I’m a homebody, but I’ve been joyfully spending time with my family, socializing with old friends and new acquaintances, attending meetings in person (At a restaurant! With food I didn’t cook! And margaritas!) I went to an art exhibit which felt like a huge, quenching drink of cold water after a long, long thirst. I attended a meeting of the film club. I’ve started swimming at my gym. One of the things that attracted me to this community and convinced me to move here was the indoor lap pool. Then, as soon as I got moved in a settled, COVID hit. But swimming, thankfully, is like riding a bike. Once you learn, the muscle memory is always there.

BUT.

But now the delta variant of COVID is raging through the country. Those of us who are fully vaccinated are very, very unlikely to be made so sick that we need to be intubated or that we’ll die. However, we can easily catch this very contagious variant and it can make us really sick. And it can give us long-haul COVID symptoms even after we’re “over ” the infection. And even if we catch it and are asymptomatic, we can spread it to others, including children too young to be vaccinated.

And so I’m back to masking wherever I go. I’m beginning to turn down some invitations, deciding not to participate in some activities, judging whether or not I’ll be able to maintain social distance at an event. If things continue to get worse, I’ll be forced back into isolation and, you know, I really don’t want that. I’m a true introvert, but an entire year of being completely on my own was quite enough. As I said to a friend this week, “Gee, that was a great four and a half months! Too bad it’s over.”

And I’m angry. I’m angry that this variant is spreading because a bunch of Trump-loving assholes and snotty-New-Age brats won’t get their damn shots. I’m angry that their stupidity may force me back into isolation. You were worried about the vaccine? Well we’ve had a seven-month experiment where millions of people all over the globe got vaccinated and are fine. And where millions of assholes who won’t get their shots are dead. So now go get your damn vaccine.

If you are able to be vaccinated, please go get your shots. They are free at your local pharmacy. Get your kids (currently 12 and up) vaccinated. Wear your masks. Socially distance. Wash your hands.

Here we go again. God for Harry, England, and St. George, I suppose.