Upon re-entry into Humanity
Upon re-entry into Humanity
For the past two years, I have been more or less a hermit. At least in terms of my physical exposure to other human beings. This is not my nature. I am a card-carrying extrovert who is energized by being around other people and engaging in lively conversations!
When the world closed down in 2020 I was in a tailspin. My routine of traveling two or three times a month to visit clients coast to coast and attend meetings was stopped. My commute became from my kitchen to my home office vs. through the Atlanta Hartsfield airport.
Over the past 25 months, I have only occasionally eaten in open-air restaurants, I’ve only attended gatherings of less than four people (who have all been vaccinated) and my daily exposure to humanity has been on the Zoom screen of my computer.
Now the idea of traveling two or three times a month on an airplane and staying in a variety of Hampton Inn hotels, ordering the proverbial consultant’s Domino’s delivered pizza no longer has any appeal to me. I have come to appreciate working virtually and the many blessings I have here at home (like a walk on our dirt road through the sun-dappled trees).
And thankfully, the time has finally come to get back into some level of engagement with humanity in person. To do so I will need to learn how to professionally dress my entire body instead of just from the waist up. I will need to make sure the backside of my hairdo is appropriate for 360 degrees viewing, and shoes will have to be worn versus my bare feet. And I’ll need to consistently brush my teeth! Hah!
The time has come for me to step out and attend my first national meeting next week in Orlando. I am both excited and frightened and wondering how I might react in the presence of more than 6 people at once! Do I give hugs? Do I fist bump or simply nod which for me will be exquisitely difficult? Do I wear a mask or apply lipstick? Will I be able to have a conversation without saying “take yourself off mute”?
Will people recognize me in my new post-Covid unfortunate weight gain? Do I have clothing that I can actually fit into? I’m not even going to talk about if I can remain upright in heels higher than flats for 8 hours or more!
In years to come, we will likely look back in wonderment and be amazed at how we got through these strange times.
In the meantime, I’m going to go unearth my suitcase and start packing. Wish me luck!
Love and Light,
