Last year we were getting our vaccinations and it felt like the pandemic was going to be over soon This year I've got that same feeling of bursting out into full public life I'm reminded of the line from the priest in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet Romeo has been banished from his home town and threatens to kill himself out of anger and despair The priest argues that he needs to stop talking about suicide, count his blessings rather than his misfortunes, and tells him to get out of town until time passes and they can "... call thee back With twenty hundred thousand times more joy Than thou went'st forth in lamentation." From the beginning of the quarantine I kept thinking about this concept, that any separation would be temporary and we would all get together again and be happier than ever after being apart That thought sustained me for months and in fact it has turned out to be the case
April 11, 2022
For the past several weeks, I have been volunteering at the mass vaccination clinic at UNM's The Pit, a basketball stadium. The first week, I was a "greeter". I got a red and silver pompom and directed folks down a hallway to their vaccination stations. The second shift, I was a "runner" and made sure all the stations had supplies. Last time, I was a "scribe", and helped check folks in prior to their shots. Not gonna lie, I volunteered hoping there would be extra vaccinations at the end of the day. But the clinic was too efficient and there were no leftovers. I was really touched to see so many seniors coming to get vaccinated, and how much care their family members took to make sure they got their shots.
April 6, 2021