As more vaccinations reach more people and we really can see a light at the end of this prolonged, COVID-19 tunnel, minds might start to wander in an optimistic direction. For it is fun and hopeful to think about a few things we might do as concerns and restrictions are invariably lifted- for good! That is, only after we feed the family, pay the rent, check our mental/physical state, and secure that our jobs are in place.
Travel? Of late, that concept has mostly meant traveling between home, school, work, and the supermarket. How nice it will be to once again feel a sense of freedom, even if it means just going to more places locally, something that we all took (understandably) for granted for pretty much our entire lives. We won’t have to plan excursions to avoid the human race (as much) any more, though we should remain COVID cautious when restrictions are lifted. Planes, trains, ships, Ubers- what a wonderful world it will be.
Attending events? While it’s too soon to say when, the time is coming when we will go to events again- movies, small concerts, school plays, and who-knows-what-else by late-2021(?). It will surely be better than yet another Zoom concert or acoustic showcase from a well-known artist’s living room that’s been our norm for the past 11-months. We won’t be getting together in huge groups any time soon, but attending small-ish events with anonymous people will be a diversionary step up from watching celebrities sing “Imagine” online. Dining sans paranoia will feel different, and great.
Business meetings? Yes, virtual meetings have kept people quite busy (or buzz-y, as a numbing effect takes control by 3pm daily), but simply sitting in a conference room or in someone’s office and feeling comfortable will be a welcome sign that things are getting back to normal.
Here’s one wish to focus on as our lives transform back to an era where we experience relative freedom of movement and choice. Let’s all not forget what got us here in the first place and keep in mind that while a vaccine is a shot in the arm, it is not the definitive COVID killer. Our minds can wander into this upcoming future, but let’s remain cognizant of the pitfalls of letting our guard (and our masks) down.
Think about it…