Featured Refresh
Text & Image
Have you been part of any social gatherings lately? If so, what was that like? What impact did the pandemic have, if any?
Indeed I have! After two years of limited and tentative get-togethers, it feels like there have hardly been any social opportunities I HAVEN'T taken advantage of In the past seven days I've: * Had a leisurely and entirely enjoyable hour and a half lunch with a colleague at a popular and busy restaurant * Attended a planning meeting for a weekend camping trip that subsequently got cancelled due to wildfires * Taken the day off from work to run errands, including buying chicken feed at a farm supply store, shopping for clothes at a second-hand store, and getting groceries at a big box store * Played board games for several hours at my friend's art gallery with two other friends * Hiked a seven mile trail in the mountains with a party of six * Watched a movie at the local art house theater All of these, except the hiking, was not possible at various points in the pandemic You better believe I appreciate the chance to do all the things now that restrictions have been lifted Is it risky? Sure! Do I know it could be rescinded at any moment if any variants around the world develop more threatening profiles? Yes! "You only live once" has never seemed more applicable
May 6, 2022
Text Only
Think about the people closest to you. Tell us about how the coronavirus has affected them, and their life.
My soon-to-be 18-year old son is a senior in high school. My baby. His sisters have pretty much flown the nest, and he's getting ready. For him, the pandemic has turned much of his world upside down: he now goes to school every other work via Zoom, has few if any club activities or celebrations like Homecoming, school sporting events. Those he does experience are adapted in one way or another. Last night we viewed his National Honor Society induction ceremony as a Youtube video recording. What would have taken 45 minutes in a large auditorium with applause was a 15-minute video that I and his dad (we're divorced) viewed separately from our homes. But it hasn't all fallen apart. Fortunately, his summer baseball team was able to have a full season from July through October! They didn't play as many different teams, but he played, with a quietly cheering crowd of parents (socially distanced). The college process has been ridiculous. Very few colleges offered in-person tours. No recruiters visiting the high school. He took his SATs wearing a mask. Baseball coaches really haven't been recruiting - many have players playing a 5th year due to the spring baseball season cancellation, so the number of spots on teams are very limited. His dream of playing college baseball may not be attainable. On the plus side, he took on some unique activities that I'm sure wouldn't have happened without this pandemic: 1) helped develop new curbside service at the local apple orchard salesroom he works at, 2) mail-ordered duck eggs and hatched them, 3) visited his grandparents more often. I worry for him that his senior year will have to be curtailed in many ways to remain safe. Prom? Spring baseball season? All Night Grad party? What will his freshman fall semester at college be like? All in all, he's thriving. He doesn't complain. I worry about him. I pray for him. I think he'll come through this a stronger and more resilient person. But it's hard to watch.
November 22, 2020