The Craftiest Workshop

It has been a weird week. In Alberta, all restrictions were lifted July 1 and life is supposed to get back to normal.

I say “supposed to” because it feels strange to be normal now. Every time I leave the apartment I think “do I have my mask” and then I say “no, I don’t need to wear my mask”. My brain seems to have this little fight with itself in that moment and I hesitate every time. The same thing occurs when I step out of the car and am heading into a store. We don’t know whether or not the business we are going to still require masks or if it is optional. Big box stores seem to be done with masks but some smaller businesses require them. Most employees at all stores seem to still be wearing masks.

This adjustment back to normalcy will take some time I imagine. All the signage, floor markings and protective barriers are still present. I imagine some of these things will remain in an effort to keep things like the flu and the common cold from easily spreading in the future.

Of course, masks were still required when we went to get our second vaccine shot the other day. It was odd though standing in line because we were debating whether the 2 metres apart rule still applied. I feel that same indecision standing in line at the grocery store. Do I still stand back and wait for people to pay before moving ahead from where I took the groceries out of my cart? In the past people would stand right next to you as you entered your credit card PIN and the only worry you had was whether they could see your PIN or not.

I wonder also how those people that either chose not to be vaccinated, or those that couldn’t for medical reasons, feel when they are out in public. The majority of people I see are choosing not to wear masks anymore and don’t really seem to keep their distance. No one knows who has been vaccinated or not and therefore you don’t know whether they are still a threat to you. I guess that people will have to use their voices and ask for space; it never feels good to be crowded.

As everyone steps out of their protective blankets and begins to experience normal life, we will all have to be more patient and understanding to those around us. People adapt and react at different speeds to life changing situations. To quote Eeyore; “a little consideration, a little thought for others, makes all the difference.”