For over 2 years now, I’ve had a very limited social life. I didn’t have the craziest social life before the pandemic, but I know I was going out and being around other people way more often. Even if it wasn’t for a social event, I feel like I had something related to the union at least once a month. Plus going out with friends and having fun adventures throughout the month. I also think that before the pandemic, I had a slightly better schedule for going out and doing things, but I think that is not that big of a change and just something I need to be more used to.
I know there are a lot of people talking about how we are in a post-pandemic world, but I do disagree with that idea. Things still aren’t great. People are still getting sick and dying. Treatments are available, but they aren’t perfect. And I’m still at a higher risk for getting really sick so I do have to be careful. But things are better than what they were before. Even if people are still getting sick, the death rate is lower. It needs to be even lower than this for me to feel like we are out of the pandemic, but I do agree that we are not in as bad of a situation as we have been before.
And I don’t regret how seriously I took the pandemic. I’m so grateful that I was able to stay safe and healthy. That’s a luxury that not everyone had. And for a long time, it was a struggle to be as isolated as I was. I had some really tough moments where I felt like I was left alone in the world. I’m used to being alone, but I was learning how to actually be lonely. And being lonely is something that I don’t think I ever truly experienced before. But now, I’m finding it a struggle to come out of the isolation that now seems normal to me.
I don’t want to live in serious fear, but I am still cautious. I don’t want to avoid the people that I know taking things as seriously as I do. I know being around others is a risk, but it’s an acceptable risk for me when I know they are not going out and doing things that will put me at even more risk of getting sick. And when I see friends, it still is a bit weird and awkward with figuring out if we need to try to space ourselves out, if people are ok with hugs again, and explaining if you have a cough that you know you don’t have Covid (something I have to explain so often since I have had a persistent cough for a majority of my life).
So as scary as it can feel sometimes to say yes to something a friend invites me to, I know I need to push myself a little bit more now. I still will take into consideration what the event is and how safe I can be. But if someone who takes things seriously is having something that is outside, that is safe and I shouldn’t be scared to go. But I still get that little voice in my head asking if I should go or not. And I do say no to some things if I feel like it’s just too much of a risky situation or an unknown for me. I haven’t been invited to too many things since so many of my friends have moved away in the past 2 years, but that also has given me an opportunity to reconnect with older friends or turn acquaintances into friends.
Maybe because I’ve had to rebuild my social life before, I’m ok with having to rebuild it again this time. But the last time, I didn’t have to worry about health and safety while rebuilding it and that is the roadblock that is still really difficult for me to get past. But I’m hoping that as it gets warmer and there are more outdoor things I can attend, I will slowly have more of my social life back and feel less like I’m still living in the middle of a pandemic.
You Might Also Like
Being Social Feels A Bit Cold (or Another Realization About The Pandemic)
Taking Acceptable Risks (or Feeling Odd About This Stage Of The Pandemic)
Scheduling And Joy (or Continuing To Plan For When Things Are Coming Back)
Having More Virtual Movie Nights (or Still Trying To Be Social)
More Thoughts On Pandemic Dating (or I Wish I Didn’t Miss Dating As Much)
2 Years Into The Pandemic (or Still Seeing What Is The New Normal And What Has Returned To Normal)
