I took a chance and it was more than a little weird.
I haven’t been around “other people” since the start of the pandemic. “Other people” as in non-relatives outside in the fresh air, fellow late night grocery shopping, hardware and stand-in-line for the bank six feet apart kind of people.
My writing workshop at the library started up again “in-person”. Six of us in a basement space, conversations muffled by masks that had to be on at all times, individual tables disinfected prior to our arrival.
Wait, did I tell you that, out of precaution, the library management would prefer that the workshop’s facilitator read the pieces we write instead of us reading it ourselves?
Ugh.
I have a sinking feeling that this will be our first and last in-person meeting for the fall. With the city barreling towards “orange”, I think that Zoom is on our horizon.
At least I didn’t run straight into the shower after coming home from being around “other people” like what I used to do when this sh*t show of a pandemic started. Tonight I walked into the shower. 🙂
It was bittersweet – nice being around familiar faces but uncomfortable enough to be thinking hard about why we didn’t go for Zoom off the bat.
Zoom or in-person, either way, I’m looking forward to taking the opportunity to draft out some diary-style pieces to add into one my old stories.
The accountability will be a good thing.
Have you been out and about (of course, following your city’s restrictions)? Share with me in the comments.
Marquessa 
I must say that the impact around here (on my life at least) has been minimal. Yes, there’s a lot more working from home and masks when I go out and about but the activities (sports, friends and the likes) have mostly remained the same.
I was more curious to how a writer workshop would pan out, but looks like I wasn’t missing much, haha.
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It was great to see familiar faces but with masks on all the time, workshop is hard!
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NOPE! I’m THAT person who can simply say hello to you two weeks after you’ve had an upper respiratory infection, and I wake up the next morning with it! 😄
Except for medical tests I couldn’t put off, it’s been me at Casa de Reevers. I visit Los Livingroom and Playa de Patio daily. I tried to Walk-on-the-Wild side every evening, but with all the fires in the mountains, the ducks at the park were replaced by coyotes, so…no.
Most of our local stores have gone above and beyond keeping stores sanitized and “socially” shoppable, but I don’t like the fact my health status hinges on the common sense and courtesy of other shoppers, so I’ve become the Home Delivery Queen! 😁
I am starting to get a little goofy though, and am “considering” driving to Vegas or Cali to see friends who also #stayathome. We’ll see. 😉
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🤣🤣🤣 Like I said, the in-person meetings may go the way of the dodo bird so it would regulate itself. Staying home doesn”t bother me either. Casa de Marquessa all the way.
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I’ve gotta ask… What, exactly, does the library management think would happen, if they let you read your own work? That really strikes me as an incredibly weird requirement.
Aside from work–where I’m still flabbergasted to realize that I’m “essential”–I’ve been doing my very best to stay home.
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Reason? If one person is doing talking, I guess less potential germs flying around. Then, there is the difficulty of talking with mask on while facilitator does not wear one…I wanted to go to hair salon as my 2nd outing but i’m no longer keen…
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I really don’t feel safe going places where I’m going to be indoors with a bunch of people at the moment. Our yoga class has recently reopened, but I haven’t been back.
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It is indeed scary. Though we were a handful of people, I still felt uneasy. I may attempt one more outing if my area doesn’t fall into the red zone…
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Ha! You know I’ve been out and all about…safely, of course, more or less 😉
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Yes, I work in the office 2 days a week. I’m masked up and I have my own office. I’ve gone to restaurants and that’s about it.
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