Hello, Summer!

Officially it's still three weeks until summer, but we all know that Memorial Day is the real start of summer, especially if you live near water or mountains.

It's only been a few weeks since I said, "Hello, Spring!" but spring never lasts all that long here. It's a handful of pleasant, balmy days between the cold and gray and the hot and humid. Although it's better than the more northern states where I've heard things like, "Spring arrived on Tuesday, but I had to work so I missed it." So I'm thankful for what I've got.

Friends are starting to be willing to meet for lunch in person. I'm allowed in some businesses and offices without the suffocating mask. People seem happier and looking forward to acting like life isn't frightening any more.

As much as I've been looking forward to it, I'm finding it a little strange.

Stores seem very crowded and traffic can be awful. It's probably no worse than it was pre-pandemic, but sometimes I'm overwhelmed. Where did all these people come from? Did everyone get so used to driving video Nascar races that they just started driving their cars that way without thinking?

It never occurred to me that after more than a year, a busy store would seem like a circus or feel a little claustrophobic. I wondered if what I was feeling was anything like the way people from very quiet parts of the country felt when taken to a big city. I only know about this from books and movies, but I'm really starting to feel for King Kong. No wonder he went on a rampage when dumped in New York City.   

This too shall pass, as people say when they want to annoy me--it doesn't help me get from here to there. But I do know that I'm resilient and you are too--how else did we get this far in life? So we will cope and then we will have a new normal.

I'm wondering if the new normal might be a little more relaxed and pleasant. I'm not talking jammies and sweats everywhere, all the time, just a little less stress, a little more appreciation of each other rather than things.

Or not.