Over the River ...

[minikin25]

We've seen a lot of changes this year. Some bad, some good, some just weird.

Weird
What prompted "Covid made things weird" while I was driving with my son this week? The Forcht Bank fork has had the UK football helmet on it since the beginning of fall. No witch, no pilgrim, who knows if Santa will get a turn. We speculated on why, and our consensus was that Covid turned that location into an ATM-only location, and there's been no-one left to change the hats.

Bad
My older son got the virus this summer and I couldn't do anything for him all the way in Houston. Fortunately, his fiancée knew all the best treatments for him at home, and he has fully recovered.
I haven't seen my parents in person since last Thanksgiving. Daddy had knee replacement surgery and I couldn't fly to San Antonio to help mom with his immediate after-care.

Good
Mom and I talk more than ever before. She's mastered FaceTime and Zoom, and we've even figured out how to shop together online. I generally have to choose between time off here with chosen family for holidays and travel there with natural family. This year, we got to include Mom and older son for the first time at Lexington Thanksgiving via Zoom meeting. I'm watching the positivity rates to see if I can fly to San Antonio for Christmas without self-quarantining at either end. But, no matter where I am for Christmas, we'll all be together again due to the magic of Zoom.

I'm an introvert by nature. The mask requirements allow me to get by with eye-crinkling smiles, and not have to think up small talk. I've been among the fortunate to continue to work during lockdowns, but I really don't do much outside the house otherwise. I'm a natural home-body and I've been enjoying the outside reason to stay in. It's given me more time to work on simplifying my environment.

I'm optimistic that we will come out of this pandemic stronger and more connected. I'm looking forward to that future.

Comments

[uselesstinrelic]

We'll all definitely be changed by this, that's for sure. It's interesting what you wrote, wondering if nobody is there to change the decorations. It could totally make sense. I wonder if a lot of places are noticing some strange little things like that.

I think the sicknesses, injuries, and funerals during all of this has been hard. So many things we would attend or people we would help that we now can't.

The shopping online together part is fun! Sometimes you just have to find out those clever ways to get things done. I've tried watching movies with friends that way. It's strange, but becoming more normal!

Glad you got something finished even if you're running behind! :D

[murielle]

Yes. Absolutely! Weird, bad, and good. Zoom has been a life-saver for many of us.

Yay, for the entry! :-)

[bsgsix]

I think all of us have changed to some degree, and what felt normal in the past now has to be - rearranged. I honestly didn't ponder if I'd need N95 masks at home, or what would happen due to a coin shortage, and yet, here we are.

I'm sorry your son was sick. I'm still dealing with Round 2, and I'm absolutely wiped out 24/7. And it is hard when you can't see anyone. I feel for you, and for your family. Thankfully, we DO have Zoom and FaceTime and other technologies. I can't imagine how much more difficult this would have been 30 years ago.

I like your optimism, and I so hope you're right. It would be nice to see that future.

Glad you made it in on time. What a WEEK. I was holding my breath for everyone during those last 2+ hours! :)

[adoptedwriter]

Hugs. I have similar hopes.

[megatronix]

I love that you and your mom can shop together online! And that she has mastered FaceTime and Zoom. Definitely a good time to get lots of practice with those! I like how you conveyed the good bad and weird. It’s true that all sorts of things, in all those categories, can come out of an unprecedented time like this.

[wolfden]

This is definitely a year of weird, good and bad.

I’m ready to see my mom again. But that’s a long ways out. They still aren’t allowing visitors and it wouldn’t be safe for me anyways.

[gunwithoutmusic]

This whole pandemic has definitely changed society - in some ways it seems worse and in some ways it seems better. We are definitely going through a "growing pains" phase, I think, where things may not seem like they're getting better until one day, you wake up and everything's fallen back into place and the new normal has just become normal... I too think that we will come out of this more connected as people, despite the distance it has forced. :)

[flipflop_diva]

I like the three aspects of this. Overall, I think a lot of people just look at this year as 'bad' but there are some good things and definitely some weird things, and it's good to remember that.

I'm glad your son has fully recovered though! That's definitely a good thing!

[halfshellvenus]

I'm glad your son recovered from the virus, especially since he lives in one of the harder-hit areas where hospitals are so overloaded!

But I feel your pain on not being able to visit your parents. I haven't seen my mom since last January, and she lives 2 hours away from all my other sibs. She's 95 and healthy, but high-risk because of her age, so nobody can be there in person.

What I wouldn't give to have her be able to work something like Zoom or Facetime! When there were all those fire threats in Oregon, I discovered that she still doesn't know how to use basic email on her PC, and even after almost an hour I couldn't talk her through it! A video call program is so far beyond her. *cries*