People in the flesh

[shewhomust]

July has been, in a very small way, a month of seeing people in Real Life; we have had three, count them, three social engagements. I am still trying to process whether this indicates a gradual retuen to some sort of sociability, or a continuing reluctance to leave my shell...

• Early in the month we were invited to a gathering of people involved in the drawing up of the Local Plan, to celebrate the acceptance thereof. I'm wary of this sort of event at the best of times, the assumption that people who have worked well (and amiably) together towards a specific end will have things to say to each other if you bring them together without that purpose. From which you may deduce that I am natually antisocial, because of course it was very pleasant. I was there as durham_rambler's plus one, which was not a problem: oddly, of all the people present, the hosts were those I knew least well. We trouped through their impressive house, and sat in their almost as impressive garden, and some of us drank Pimms (it's not a drink I particularly enjoy, but it adds to the summer ambiance if someone else is willing to drink it), and there was the odd moment of this person is standing closer to me than I am comfortable about but mostly it was fine.



• Mid-month we finally managed to agree a date to take F. out to lunch for a birthday treat (only a month after her birthday). We took her to our favourite farm shop, which she had not previously visited, caught up with all of each other's gossip over a very relaxed lunch in their coffee shop and then visited the shop itself before delivering her home. We all agreed that this was a thing we could do again; or we could visit F. and drink tea in her garden; or think of another way not to let the time between visits stretch so alarmingly. Which is good, in theory.



• Yesterday we made a lunch date with anef who has been in Durham for the Classics Summer School (Greek) and S. who has been commuting from Newcastle for same (Latin). Given how little I have been going into the City of late, and how even less I have been checking the possibilities of lunching there, I took the plunge and suggested they both come here to lunch. First time I have cooked for anyone but ourselves since - oh, actually only since June, when valydiarosada and D. stayed over on the way up to Holy Island, which suggests that I think of valydiarosada and D as more or less 'ourselves' - but it felt like a big step. People Inside The House! People Downstairs! We cleared the dining room table, which allowed us to sit well spaced, and open the back door for as much ventilation as was comfortable (if the weather had still been hot we could have opened the door onto the area, and created a through draught, but it wasn't and we didn't). And it was fun, even if once our guests had departed I felt too limp to do anything but lounge on the sofa and read Pratchett (Faust Eric, which I have no recollection of reading before, so it's almost like having a new Pratchett to read).

I'm in no rush to emerge from lockdown; but it's good to know that I'm not absolutely determined never to emerge, either. Balance is all.

Comments

[cmcmck]

Sadly, it seems that all too many sheep have been so terrified that they'll never emerge from this and I find that frightening and if government don't also find it worrying, you have to question their motives!

Some of the 'experts' seem determined to carry on with their fearmongering too.

[shewhomust]

I'm not laying down guidance for anyone else, here: this post is a record of what I have been doing and how I feel about it.

In as far as it has any general applicability, it's that last line. There are no 'absolutely safe' or 'absolutely unsafe' choices, it's about being in a position to choose which risks you think are worth taking, and not having risk forced on you by circumstances / Government policy.

You are right that there are people who will be long-term afraid to emerge (some of them for genuine reasons of vulnerability, some of them through less well founded fear). If anything, I'd say that Government policy tends to push people into risk (go back to the office, go to a nightclub, throw away your mask...), but they would like to be in a position, if it all goes wrong, to tell us it's our own fault. Some of the 'experts' are probably going too far in the opposite direction - there's a debate going on, with experts on both sides.

What I find frightening is that encouraging people to mix on the basis that they have a degree of immunity / are not likely to be seriously ill is creating the ideal circumstances for the emergence of a new vaccine-resistant variable...

But none of this is what I set out to post about, and I apologise for the brain-dump!

[athenais]

I'm so envious! You cooked for people! You got to see anef! You left the house! Wait, I've left the house, but lately only to work, which isn't an especially fun reason to leave the house. Still, since we're all under mask mandate again I did not go to a party friends planned before the Delta variant arrived and I do not think we will have friends over for quite a long time now. Again. Still.

[shewhomust]

I shall be envious of your trip to Seattle - I'm already looking forwars to it! - and then we will be even.

I don't love wearing a mask, but I can cope with it, even though it makes my glasses fall off, and I always take it off as soon as I'm ourdoors again.

[anef]

It was lovely to get out and have lunch with people IRL. I felt a little tired afterwards as well so it was good that I didn't have to do any more studying until the following morning.

[shewhomust]

Sociable lunches always leave me too - shall we say 'relaxed'? - to do much with the afternoon! It was lovely to see you (and we have since invited J. to Sunday lunch, so gradual emergence continues).