I didn’t expect the first live music I heard in over a year to be a decent cover of Billy Currington’s “People are Crazy” but I also didn’t expect to spend nearly a year and a half staying away from shows, people, and indoor dining establishments. But I was also not expecting to be able to gorge myself silly on a large plate of steamed shrimp but here we were.
The better half and I made a trip down to Tybee this past weekend. We’re both fortunate to be several weeks past our second vaccinations and also to have the extra cash in hand for this long planned trip. We needed to look at a large body of water and be very quiet for a while. We’re not beach people. If you’ve ever seen either of us in the flesh you know that we’re practically neon white and so laying in full sun isn’t exactly the best plan for us.
It was a much needed break for both of us and, I hope, the start of better days to come. That being said, I was a lot more uncomfortable in some situations than I thought I’d be. We were outdoors most of the time, minus a two hour stint inside under an air vent waiting for crab legs, but I was a little weirded out by people coming so close to us without masks. Is it a rational thing? By most accounts, no. But I haven’t been around PEOPLE in well over a year. This is going to take some getting used to.
There’s a show at the local brewery coming up that I’m going to try to attend. I don’t drink so that’s a minus. It’s also in June (aka melting weather) so that’s also not great. But I need to try. I desperately want to hear some good music live and maybe interact? With other people? I’m still very wary about being indoors anywhere. While we were at the beach some folks got well within my personal space and I had a small moment of panic. This may take some time to get adjusted to.
All of this to say, be careful and kind to yourself and others as we navigate this time. My comfort level is not your comfort level and if you see me wearing a mask outdoors just ignore me, ok? I’m still working through some stuff. Shows are being booked, tours are being announced, and the musicians are coming back together. It’s as true now as it was months ago but we need to take it all one day at a time.
Stay safe y’all.
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