This is weird, right?

With the pandemic winding down, life feels...odd.

Anyone else feel a wee bit, oh, disoriented of late?

We were mired in this whole pandemic thing for so long, and what feels like all of a sudden…we’re not. At least here in the U.S., and in the heavily vaccinated state of Massachusetts (sorry, Commonwealth of Massachusetts) where I live. Masks are optional, restaurants are full, social distancing is, like, gone. My kids and their friends are going to a movie tomorrow. I rode in a car and slept in the same room with three of my besties on our annual White Mountain hike this past weekend.

SO not social distancing. (That’s me at the bottom in orange.)

Last week, at our town’s Pride event, a friend introduced me to his brother and we SHOOK HANDS. (!!) My first handshake in nearly a year and a half. And a good one, too. Not a dead fish. I know some people feel like handshakes should go the way of the dodo, but I struggle with that one. I feel like they’re important. Blowing out candles on cakes, on the other hand…let’s just leave that one in 2019, shall we? I propose that the birthday person plucks the candles out and blows them out one by one—and then if they want, they lick the frosting off the bottom. (That needs to always be socially acceptable.)

Birthday candle blowing aside, I am mostly thrilled about all these resumptions of normal life. In particular: not having to pant through a mask on at my climbing gym, being blissfully ignorant of who the anti-mask a**holes are, and being able to hug friends.

At the same time, all of this happened a lot sooner than I expected, and it feels a little like being woken up from a nap. Or coming home after a long trip to a foreign country. Everything that once was familiar feels little different; like it’s been shifted a foot or two to the side or something. You know?

There are things I know I will miss about this whole ordeal, strangely enough. I really treasured having the extra time with E & C. Though obviously it was tough at times, I was keenly aware of the fact that as teenagers, they’re slipping steadily away from us. To have them spend so much more time at home, doing so many things as a family, felt like a lucky bonus.

Then there are the things I really hope will stick around: The aforementioned non-blowing-on-cakes. Outdoor dining at restaurants. Outdoor gatherings with friends, even when it’s nippy out. I have also enjoyed not getting any colds or the flu (or COVID, for that matter, luckily) and the thought of being in a crowded place without a mask during cold and flu season seems positively primitive. I sort of hope masks become acceptable seasonal attire December through March, like mid-calf boots and cowl neck sweaters.

Here’s another one I’m eager to keep: Interviewing authors on A Mighty Blaze. The Blaze was started by authors Jenna Blum and Caroline Leavitt at the start of the pandemic, to help out all the writers whose book launches and tours were canceled by the pandemic. Being a part of the organization was a highlight of the year. More than a year later, we’re still going strong, interviewing new authors every week. (Including some HUGE names: Elin Hildebrand! David Duchovny! Cheryl Strayed! Jane Greene! Nicole Krauss! John fucking Irving!!)

I just started hosting a new show called The Zeitgeist, where I interview authors whose books intersect with hot-button topics like race, gender, culture, class, health and whatever else seems current and conversation-worthy. It’s the first three Thursdays of the month at 4:00 pm ET. There’s a schedule of upcoming interviews here. Watch on A Mighty Blaze on Facebook or YouTube, or on my Facebook page, either live (you can ask questions!) or later. It’s fun! I promise!

OK. There ends the promotional portion of this post. Except for this last little part:

(If you have a Gmail address, be sure to check your promotions tab.)

I hope you’re enjoying the emergence from the pandemic, and not feeling too terribly weirded out. Happy Summer.

tee hee.