I am in the ‘oh my gracious’ mode! Here we are, in a collective split–personality disorder. I don’t even know on which foot to start the Covid dance!
I have a front-row seat for this: I live in Alberta where our politicians were all ready to embark on an intrepid new approach to dealing with the pandemic. That was the case until this past Friday when it was all-change. It looked like the provincial ruling party felt the whole Covid thing had taken up way too much time, energy and attention, and now with the vaccine, we were to just get on with life. This meant there was to be no testing, (unless you landed in hospital) no follow-up tracing and no quarantine.
Oh, brave new world! But thank goodness, the powers-that-be around here have dumped that idea! Public reaction and the looming fourth wave meant that plan was scrapped. Now we are sort of staying as we were.
I confess, that plan was rather bewitching – don’t test, don’t tell, it must have all gone away! In Alberta, many of us are having a rather charming summer: masks are just an occasional option, restaurants and bars are open, concerts, festivals and events are happening. We are enjoying it all, visiting family and reconnecting with friends. Me too! Well, not everyone is having a good time. My GP told me last week that if you work in the medical profession, it continues to be stressful, tiring and most have not had any holidays.
I find this post-Covid time all rather wobbly. First off, I prepared a post for this blog about the new measures, the ones that got scrapped. So before I even posted it that was a no-go. And as for my state of mind, I feel as though I should be doing more, achieving more, getting more done – you know. And I understand I am not alone. I have talked with other retirees; they too are a bit at sea.
Oh, we are not raising our voices to complain about such a state of the soul – we don’t have to sort out the return to the workplace. Because for those who do, the upsets have just begun.
There are pets. Now with their working owners going back to work in the workplace, all those darling Covid dogs and other animal beings are stuck at home alone. So doggie day-care and therapy are needed (business opportunities here). And what about being actually called back to the place of work – office, plant, factory, school etc.? Some are excited about this but I hear of other dramas: People, who during Covid-work-from-home, moved hundreds of kilometres, even a thousand or so, to relocate to an island or coastal place or forest. Now, even though they have been functioning well on Zoom etc., employers are saying: “well actually, now I would like you to work from the office.” Wow, that would be an upset!
I am not dramatic about Covid: got me double shots, still wear my mask as I think appropriate, wash hands, take care. But this Delta variant and talk of the fourth wave has me saddened and apprehensive. I have grandchildren under 12, our darling non-vaccinated little ones. So a please: let’s act in the best interest of those who truly cannot get vaccinated.