May 21, 2021

“I can’t wait for the pandemic after-party. I think it’s going to be absolutely amazing!”

-Me, a year ago

It’s May 2021, and I’m fully vaccinated. You would think that if an after-party in Las Vegas or New Orleans was happening this weekend, I would be on a plane tonight.

I can almost feel the tumult of joy, a great song playing that you love to dance to, friends all around laughing and celebrating, tipsy people doing silly things…

But I won’t be on that plane. I just can’t seem to get my heart and my head to agree.

My heart is all for getting together with a huge number of strangers and dancing the night away! That is a kind of physical freedom and social need that I’ve had to suppress for 14 months. You can only suppress a need for so long before it starts to seep out.

My head is wary about what’s happening in India, how big the gap is to herd immunity in the US, and how that increases the likelihood of a vaccine-resistant strain. When you trust the science and follow the CDC guidelines, you have to stay cautious.

Sigh…

This pandemic isn’t over yet. Only forward. Only through.

I haven’t found any socially distanced dancing opportunities yet. I looked, too! Gen Z, is there a pop-up dance party app or something? Are you all hiding them on TikTok? Let me know, cause my booty needs to shake with other booties nearby.

Maybe that’s the speakeasy of 2021 – I can’t be the only one wanting to dance with people nearby, so they must be underground…in parks, but, you know, “underground’“.

Until I find this elusive, mysterious underground park dance party scene, I will just keep having my solo dance parties.