May 16, 2021

Is it over? I spent most of yesterday with a group of friends I last saw all together 14 months ago. Unmasked, we hugged - and hugged again, shared our stories and picked up where we left off. At one point I was searching for some photos of a past gathering and was rather surprised to see how many things can happen in a year, an ordinary year. 

Today we saw (participated?) in a theater event at UCLA - A Thousand Ways by 600 Highwaymen - a unique and fascinating experience on its own. But returning to Royce Hall, the windy drive up Sunset, and pulling into a silent empty campus was other-worldly. COVID restrictions still in play - we were still participating in theater, a live performance.

We’re not there yet, but things are returning. And while I have moments of anxiety - do I still connect with my friends? Can I share my darker thoughts, will I recognize this stranger again and will she recognize me? - I take comfort in the deep breaths that fog my glasses, the muffled voices behind the facemasks, and how they will dissolve into the memories of this time - when it is over.

May 13, 2021

May 13, 2021 

In another transition phase - as the vaccinated have mask restrictions relaxed we seem one step closer to the post-pandemic world. This weekend I’ll be hanging out with a group of friends that I haven’t hung out with in 14 months. Dinner parties are possible again. 

Meanwhile, I still work from home with no sense of when or even if that is going to change - and as much as I miss my lunchtime strolls downtown, I’m hoping this change sticks for a little longer. 

I’m excited to see my friends again, to have real time conversations in real life. But honestly, the things we used during this time to keep in touch, video calls, texts, emails, sometimes even pen and ink - need to continue. It’s all too easy to think we’ll see someone again soon enough - and begin the slow drift from friend to stranger. There’s nothing like face to face but so many ways to stay connected and make sure those sweet moments happen.