I have no life these days. I can count on one hand the times I've seen my friends since the year began. When Omicron arrived in New York, we all retreated back into our family silos, and though we talk occasionally by phone, and text, we are once again out of the habit of gathering. We need to follow our young people's lead. Since getting themselves vaccinated, they have reengaged socially, not allowing themselves to grow comfortable in isolation. They go out to restaurants and clubs, attend small house parties, take trips, remember how it felt to enjoy the world beyond their door. My man at least goes to work three days a week, but I can stay sequestered inside my house for days at a time, doing little more than house chores, reading, streaming videos, and working. I've got to do better. Maybe as the weather warms up, it will get easier. For now, I live vicariously through my children. My girl and her love went to Charleston with friends for the long weekend. She sent me pictures. I asked permission to post and she said okay, so here's her weekend album. This is clearly the only way I will see Charleston this year. I hear it's beautiful.
Y'all are so beautiful living in your happy place.
The photos are lovely but I know how you feel. I don't stay at home but I don't do much besides work. It will end, one day. Things will go back to normal and because we're human, we'll quickly forget.
ReplyDeleteWe weren't in the habit of socializing much before the pandemic but I do miss our small social group gatherings at one of the neighbor's home.
ReplyDeleteSeeing your daughter and her love and their friends at the ocean makes my spirit soar. When we were young, I am guessing that we reminded our parents what it was to be young and live in the present. Now that we are older we live in the present in a different way, needing to practice more caution. As far as I can tell, my own traveling days are over at age 72 but I do re-experience the joy of traveling when I see how the eyes of the young people light up as they travel much as I did when I was younger. I'm still wearing my mask in public places and may continue to do that, given that even common colds are a serious matter for me. I'm beginning to meet with friends in our homes and for walks but I really am a true introvert and spend many fruitful hours alone.
ReplyDeleteI have broken out - winter conditions in eastern Ontario notwithstanding. Three jabs and a low incidence around here are reassuring. So, I was in restaurants twice last week and visited a friend in her home. wowie. Life resumes. I hope you can break out soon as well.
ReplyDeleteThat looks like a lovely vacation spot! Glad your daughter had such a nice time there!
ReplyDeleteI do not think I've ever been to Charleston. I have no idea why- it's not that far away. How beautiful those kids are! Well, grown-ups, of course, adults, but still teetering on the edge of all the responsibilities of what will come. And they will have the resources and the memories to help them.
ReplyDeleteI'm like you (of course) in that I am not going out much at all. I am not unhappy about it and since we feel comfortable eating outside at restaurants, I can still join my own babies and that is about enough for me.
It's so lovely to see your beautiful daughter and her love together on a journey, seeing friends. We would love for life to return to normal. Our lives wouldn't change that much, but the looming threat that has been hanging over us for so long now would be gone. We could breathe freely and what a joy that would be.
ReplyDeleteStill languishing here. I've read too much about long Covid, so I fear it more than just getting the virus. There's no way to stop it or predict it, so we're not going out much. Friends of mine are traveling, but as of yet I'm not. The young adults look extremely happy and I am very glad for that.
ReplyDeleteI agree entirely. We must get back to living. That said, many seem unable or unwilling. Maybe it is fear? Charlestown must have been a nice get-away with friends. Good times are possible!
ReplyDeleteOh I relate. I am working from home, and as I am a contractor I really am reluctant to expose myself to infection, given we are experiencing that early omicron spike here in NZ, that most of you have already been through. I'll be waiting until my booster has had a chance to kick in, in a fortnight, before going anywhere much. But oh the cabin fever! I wish I had a garden to go sit in. It would be a wilderness if I did to be honest, but still!
ReplyDeleteI haven't been to Charleston in AGES -- like, 25 years. But your pictures confirm my memory of it as a pleasant, beautiful place. (Of course the company one is with makes a big difference!)
ReplyDeleteYou will emerge more and more, as will we all.
As you know, my family goes to Hilton Head, not too far from Charleston, each year. It is a very beautiful part of the country for sure. I completely understand what you've written here -- I feel as if the languishing is permanent, that the losses (material and social losses to be sure, but losses anyway) have kind of taken over. Even though I go off to work each day and am in contact with my students, I rarely see my friends. It's like we've built all these walls around ourselves, and at our age it's difficult to take them down. Then again, there are parts of the country where it seems that no one changed their lives as dramatically as those of us in the cities did. I don't know. I'm just hoping that healing will come, that it's slow but will come and we will all be healed.
ReplyDeleteI stay home a lot. I am honestly confused. Is this pandemic over all of a sudden? Masks or no masks? Is everything normal now? I don't know the answer to any of these in spite of my love for Dr. Bonnie Henry. So I just stay home. And play Wordle. And Worldle. And A Greener Wordle. And Waffle. I also take far too many naps.
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