I know, things are starting to open up again. But some of the pictures from Memorial Day weekend were just crazy. You saw them: groups of people at a lake, shoulder to shoulder, carrying on like everything was back to normal. Nope, ‘fraid not. We gotta be smart about this, people, or we’re going to end up in a big mess. Again!
My niece Caitlin is my insider for all things New Age-y, and she’s always talking about “doing things with intention.” That sounds kind of woo-woo, sure, but it’s not. It just means doing things on purpose. You know, thinking about what’s important to you and following through sensibly.
Yeah, we’re all going a little stir crazy and want things to go back to how they used to be, but that ain’t going to happen until there’s a vaccine, right? This is our new normal, and the sooner we accept that, the sooner we can figure out how to make it livable. And by livable, I mean putting fun back into the equation. Yes, it’s possible.
Like, our DQ is open. Oh, happy day! So, Charlie and me drive down there, put on our masks, stand in line six feet apart from everyone else, order our Peanut Buster Parfaits, get back into our car, sanitize our hands, take off our masks, and dig in. The Peanut Buster Parfaits and staying healthy are both important to us, and there’s a way to do both.
And more good news: the weather is gorgeous here in Maine, so we can get together 
with folks outside. Not standing shoulder to shoulder in some lake. That just too risky. I’m talking about the fact that we’ve been living in a little bubble with our family, and now we can think about increasing the size of our bubble. Let’s face it, the cooties of your friends don’t seem half as bad as stranger’s cooties, right? It was true when you were a kid, and it’s true now.
When it comes to getting back out there, just ask yourself: is this a high risk, medium risk, or low risk situation and try to stay in the low to medium range. It’s common sense.
I say chose a small group of people that you trust are careful and taking the same kinds of precautions you are, and go for a walk or invite them to visit on your deck. Have some sanitizing wipes handy in the bathroom for them to use if they have to go potty. (Which they will.)
Me and the Women Who Run With the Moose got together last Thursday for our girls night out. It’s the first time we’ve met in person since middle of March. Zoom’s good, and we made the best of it, but gosh it was nice to see the gals in three dimensions! No hugging, of course, which was a little weird, but still. Betty was hosting. She has a big deck and had disinfected everything on it. I don’t know if we were quite six feet apart the entire time, but close. Betty even made sure we had our own TV trays. It was more like a picnic than a potluck in that we all brought what we wanted to eat and drink. Boy, oh, boy! We had such a great time. It actually felt kind of naughty, seeing each other in person, but what a relief! No craft projects or nothing. Just enjoying each other’s company.
Along with Charlie and Scamp, the Women Who Run with the Moose are in my bigger bubble, and my sister Irene, her husband Jimbo and Caitlin and little Jimmy. Who’s in yours?
That’s it for now. Stay safe and catch you on the flip side!
Here Ida Tell It: Increasing the Size of Your Bubble