Before, and a Long Way from After

It is hard to believe that 6 weeks ago, I was about to get on a plane to San Antonio to go to the AWP convention.  I remember commenting on the few masks that I saw, but for the most part, I didn't see much alarm in my fellow passengers. 

I might not have even thought there should be much cause for alarm, if I hadn't been reading tweets and posts from people who were deciding whether or not to go to the convention.  Off I went, mingling in huge groups, even though the conference was sparsely enough attended that I rarely sat near anyone.  But in restaurants, we didn't do social distancing.

Ah, the good ole days 6 weeks ago when most of us didn't know we should do social distancing.

Back then I was trying to think about all the tasks I had to balance in between spring and summer travel.  And now, I wonder when we'll travel again--on darker days, I wonder if we'll travel again.  I suspect that we will, although some people will be sanitizing every surface as they go along.  Some will wear masks.  I will not.

It's easy for me to think that now.  Who knows what our neuroses will be when we emerge on the other side?  I'm already more conscious of everything my fingers touch, especially for items that aren't stationary.  At Total Wine on Saturday, the checkout clerk and I tried to keep our safe distance, but in the end, we each touched every bottle of wine, bottles which had been touched before (but probably so long ago there was no virus on them).

My spouse and I take our temperatures more regularly these days.  We both have vague aches and pains which we'd have never thought much about before, but in these days, we ask, "Is it a headache or a symptom?  Is my cough dry or wet?"

I know we are not even remotely close to the beginning of what's coming after.  It's bizarre to me to think about how much life has changed in just 6 weeks.  Where will we be 6 weeks from now?