FOMO vs. FOCO

I mostly work from home right now, going into clients briefly about once a week (and even in that case, there's only one client I go to where others are present when I am there).

And as you might know, Minnesota has just this week "re-opened," allowing restaurants and bars to open at 50% capacity, youth sports to resume, etc. From mid-November until January 11th, bars and restaurants could only serve outside, and I'll admit to stopping at my favorite taproom for drinks around a fire pit a couple of times.

When I was running between clients on Monday, it was totally different, kind of crazy town. People were out everywhere, filling restaurants, bars, etc. Parking lots were full, music was playing, people were gathered everywhere. It was almost as if covid had been declared eradicated. And it looked great, and I really wanted to go out and for it all to be normal again. It all looked so easy. What would it mater if I sat down and took off my mask and had a drink?

But the thing is, it's not normal (and the more we pretend it is, the longer it will take to return so). Our infection rates in Minnesota are better, but nowhere near manageable. I've had more friends become sick, and more die. It seems to affect more and more people I know. I now know two people who have gotten covid twice, and heard of one friend-of-a-friend on his 3rd round. My friends in the medical profession are exhausted and beaten down, reflecting that "the pandemic has exposed all the holes/cracks/flaws in our health system." As we learn more about the long-term health implications, it's increasingly dire. There are at least two dangerous variants (UK and Brazil). We don't have enough stock of the vaccine to even protect our health care workers (at least one local hospital had to go on a lottery system, and I literally broke down in tears when my BFF won the lottery and was able to get her shot), never mind the next level of essential workers such as teachers going back to school. And those federal reserves we were promised never existed.

So yes, I miss going out right now more than I ever thought would be possible. Sitting in a table at a restaurant and having someone bring me a meal and a drink (whether that's at Skinners or the Lex) sounds amazing. And I worry, a lot, about those small businesses (don't even get me started on theaters, I have no tears left for today).

But I've lived in Asia. When the study came out last April about airflow in a Chinese restaurant being a major factor in disease spread, I immediately understood the implications. I've been in hundreds of restaurants like that, and I could vividly envision the situation and exactly how the restaurant looked. It's then I understood how much airflow had to do with disease spread and how crucial it was. 

And no, I don't consider this "living in fear." I consider it taking options to keep myself healthy, and more importantly, to protect those I love. I consider it making some sacrifices to ensure that others can remain alive.