As we approach March 1st my enthusiasm heightens!  Although March can have its share of snowstorms it nonetheless promises to unfold towards springtime. I learned today that my hair salon is back in business though “not for walk-ins” which translates to a diminished level of activity. Based on what I recall from our pharmacist it may be March or April when we are able to get a vaccination for COVID.  All in all it makes for steps in the right direction!

We are already starting to imagine how we’ll plan for upcoming trips.  It is still premature since as far as I know the Canadian border continues to be closed for regular traffic; and we’ve heard nothing from our medical insurers about the possibility of coverage for extended periods abroad. At the moment the only assurance is that we should soon be able to bicycle again. And thankfully wear short pants!

Social conventions remain a thing of the past.  I haven’t seen my immediate family for months. I have forgotten what a restaurant is. My token outings are confined to gas stations and grocery stores. Occasionally I chat briefly with people in the garage or the elevator.

The overwhelming tranquility of this pandemic era has unwittingly enabled a great deal of inner reflection – most of which is as amateur as you might expect for such a knee jerk undertaking. The best I can say about the effort is that it affords the experience upon which to base better analysis. I am discovering – or should I say, being reminded – that human relations are not easily managed. The distinction between family and friends is calculable only to the degree that people are unreliable. Perhaps it is a graduation to accept that it is what it is. It sounds like a small improvement but I feel better knowing it isn’t my fault.

Not everything is anxiety attacks and existential gloom. I have a third “thing” on the horizon, the other two “things” having been already successfully accomplished – at least the second after a minor glitch. The first was, is, an unqualified hit! The only limitation is what may be the alteration afterwards. Will there be a drop in enthusiasm?  Will it reveal the equivalence of commercial vacuity? Will it sustain the erstwhile gusto?