I got my flu and COVID shots on Saturday, so I had a bit of time to reflect on just where things are these days with that huge mess of 2020. It’s hard to believe it’s been over four years (coming up on five) since the only thing I really had to worry about being sick was the inconvenience of being stuck in bed for a few days and feeling crummy. When I think back on all that happened from 2020 on . . . I stop thinking about it, because I’m not masochistic.
That’s not entirely fair. There were certainly aspects of that time that I enjoyed and even remember fondly. The kids and I had one long epic delve into the world of Animal Crossing. We added Ferris to the family (and while he can be super annoying at times, he’s still a lovable fuzzball). We had a whooooole lot of family time. But let’s be honest: trying to view the COVID era through rose colored glasses is very difficult. Even slightly scratching the surface reminds me of all the things that were awful about that time. Enough that I just don’t like to think about it, as I already said.
Getting my COVID booster was easy. I made an appointment at Walmart the evening before, and I pretty much could have picked any time during the day to do it. When I went into the store, no one else was getting immunized. I didn’t have to wait. Just sat down, got both shots, and I was on my way. That’s a far cry from what it was like back when Denisa and I had to scour the interwebs to find out first COVID shot.
I’d heard this round of the booster didn’t come with too many side effects. In practice, my arm hurt like a beast for Saturday and Sunday, and I felt very achy and tired yesterday. Today I’m back to feeling normal, so it wasn’t too bad, all told. Glad to have it done, and hoping that I got it at the right time to protect me as much as possible.
Back in 2020, it felt like the world was never going to be normal again. What I forgot was that everything becomes normal if you wait long enough. Your definition of normal just changes to match whatever it needs to be.