everydayinamerica

Resurrecting From Social Inactivity And Isolation…

Two months ago, I was contacted as a vendor to take part in a bi-annual outdoor festival sponsored by a local business to support kitten adoptions…

Since the pandemic, I have become the consummate social distance expert and masked crusader… I reluctantly moved forward and agreed to purchase a space with the hopes of the pandemic being under control to the point of life outside being a normal venture again…

As the dates of the weekend festival neared, I grew more apprehensive of becoming a part of the “unmasked” crowd…especially since I was still wavering on obtaining a clear cut mindset on “to vaccinate or not to vaccinate,” a question of decision that still haunts me and surfaced in a dream a few nights ago.

The day before the festival, I went to the location to pick up my space assignment.  Carefully masking up before emerging from my vehicle, I noticed the organizer standing a few feet away with a clipboard in hand…maskless! Once outside, I also noticed she was less than six feet away from another participant near her tent.  I took a quick look around and saw other participants setting up their tents and tables… without masks.  Then, I realized I was the only person wearing a mask…

The statewide mask mandate in our state expired on April 16, 2021. Private businesses, cities, towns and organizations could continue to keep their mask mandates should they choose to do so.  The city in which I live still requires the mask mandate.  The city where the festival was being held, lifted their mask mandate. Looking around me, I felt a wave of fear.

The maskless face and cheery attitude of the event organizer did little to ease my “deer in headlights” feeling…

She proceeded to give me my space number and participant instructions and led me down the stairs to my place in the lot.  As she was explaining the tent setup my eyes continued to dart around to various maskless individuals setting up with ease… When she concluded, I said goodbye and headed to my vehicle, anxious to leave this scene behind.

My anxiety to attend or not to attend grew through the night and culminated in a morning call to the organizer.  I wanted to let her know that I would not be participating in the weekend event.  Her husband answered and was quite understanding of my anxiety and offered up jokes to help ease the situation.  I felt relieved…

Social distancing and mask wearing…hand washing and sanitizing had become my new normal.  While I always hand washed and sanitized at the appropriate moments before the coronavirus, the frequency and the demand for it due to the pandemic had easily become second nature and an expectancy pertaining to all who entered my proximity, and my ritual of respect when I entered into someone else’s space and proximity…especially when going out to do necessary errands which intersected with others.  My responsibility of preserving my life also extends to preserving and protecting the lives of others during this pandemic.

With the easing of restrictions due to the drop in Covid-19 cases and vaccine attainment, resurrecting from social distancing and social inactivity will be the new hurdle to overcome. 

Until the pandemic is declared officially under control and cases drop below 100, we are not out of the woods.  A new surge or new variant strains can come in and upset the apple cart at any given moment…and lifting protocol because of those who are anxious to live life as it was before Covid because of promising results with the vaccine and prior social distancing practices…may be a few months premature…Time will definitely tell the complete tale.

Fear is the great inhibitor and it rears its ugly head in some capacity in our lives, every second of every day…new challenges of fear creep in…affecting even those who consider themselves fearless and invincible…they are just experts at “masking it.”

Sometimes, fear isn’t fear…but intuition or instinct…either way, we must pay heed.

I am looking forward to the day when I can relinquish my mask to retirement and feel the air upon my face again…and I will… in my space and timetable…not someone else’s…

My resurrection back into social interaction will be my great celebration, fit with all the bells and whistles of announcement allowable.

Kisses, anyone?

Soon…just not today.

Readjusting ourselves to a “new normal,” a new approach to living after a dramatic series of events is also a “healing process.”

Healing is the process of making or becoming sound or healthy again.

That includes a healthy and sound state of mind.

This pandemic has shaken and unsettled confidences, belief systems, taken lives, broken families and forced tactile humanity into isolation and restrictive lifestyles for over a year…and is still erupting to that cause and effect; with some parts of the globe, again, reentering lock down…So much so, that when the appearance of “normalcy” emerges, there are those among us who cling to the enforced, tried and true measures of securing our health and safety; that has brought us to this place of still preserving our gift of life…I know firsthand.  It is called “self-preservation.”

To those who are hesitant and unsure…take your time.  Embrace your method of healing and resurrection into life out of isolation and social distancing in a healthy and safe manner. 

Let go of fear…and let go of any paranoia.  Do not let it creep in or set in.  Hesitancy after a long illness is…normal.  Hesitancy after prolonged isolation…is normal. Hesitancy in being unsure…is normal.

Trust your instincts and move out into the mainstream when your spirit signals you that it is safe…and in your best interest to do so.

You are not alone…

Godspeed…God protects.

Be still…and listen to your heart.

You will rise again….