This past Saturday was a super special occasion: my friends and I got together - indoors, unmasked - for the very first time since the the COVID-19 pandemic began. Going back to this normal part of our pre-pandemic life was weirdly surreal. Throughout the evening I paused to amaze at that we are indeed hanging out together without any safety precautions whatsoever. There were many hugs.
Well, aside from the fact that everyone in the group is fully vaccinated (so calm down, people). With the good mRNA stuff too, and not the Johnson & Johnson single-dose with an infinitesimal potential side effect of blood clots. It is nothing short of a miracle that we were able to effectively eliminate the worse of the coronavirus symptoms less than a year since the outbreak. And it’s also nothing short of a miracle that the Unites States is able to rollout the vaccines so proficiently.
It is thanks to the tireless work of countless others, from medical researchers to volunteers, that I was able to hang out with my friends so freely once again. I shall never take for granted the social joy of sitting around a dinner table, breaking bread (literally: we had sandwiches) with the people dear to me. As last Thanksgiving proved, socially-distanced gatherings and taking food back to our respective homes just cannot offer the same magic and merry. Even an ardent introvert like myself needs some proper social interactions every now and then.
There were lots to celebrate as well. Firstly, we are tremendously grateful that we’ve made it through the pandemic relatively okay. We and the people around us are healthy and employed. As for the rest: one friend just closed on a home, another is starting a new job, and another’s second child has his third birthday soon (it’s today, actually). That’s what these gatherings are all about: celebrating the milestones and turning points of our lives.
Once again, thank you to those that made it possible.
Lone visitor.