At this point in 2020, I had started backing off—a little—my incessant nitrile glove usage and started relying more on a mask, especially indoors, since the CDC said that was the more likely way to spread the virus. I continued to sanitize, of course, just in case. The rhetoric over a “vaccine” and when we would see it was heating up as we got closer to election day. One rare consensus between both political parties was how the vaccine would “fix” the problem when it came and we could all get back to normal. Everyone was excited for 2021 and how much better things would be. So maybe we said that to feel better knowing all along that any positive changes would be awhile in coming, but it made us feel better. Fast forward to late-spring 2021. Those people wanting vaccination received it, no problem, but now it was becoming quite clear that an equal share of Americans didn’t want the vaccine and had no intention of getting one. The bickering between these camps continued, but as long as the positive case numbers continued to decline, America was back baby! The numbers did drop and the recreation options exploded because of it. The CDC and the network news continued to broadcast concern. The Delta variant was now the only version we heard about but were assured those fully vaccinated were 99.5% safe from getting Covid. I felt pretty good about those odds until I started hearing a repeating phrase; “Breakthrough” cases. Apparently, those fully vaccinated were still better off than the unvaccinated, but now we were being told “a booster” is a good idea…

Like many, I had relaxed my “masking” guard. Unless I went into a place requiring masks or just felt uncomfortable having a bare face in some more crowded situations, I didn’t wear it, but did carry one in my back pocket. I hadn’t gotten to the point where I felt at ease enough to travel or attend large group activities, but felt safe enough to go mask-less much of the time. As I write this, case counts have been growing exponentially, and the push for booster shots is becoming a regular topic. I have documented in earlier posts the medical issue I had with my 2019 seasonal flu shot, which caused me to be extremely reluctant getting a vaccine, so the prospect of a booster is not appealing at all. Let me say here that I think science did an extraordinary job finding a preventative for Covid so quickly, and think they should be commended. That being said, my understanding of the seasonal flu shot is that it is similar to rolling the dice. Because the flu variant changes regularly, the only way to proactively fight it is through annual shots that have been revised annually to adapt for a new flu-bug. Problem is, the effectiveness of the annual flu-shot is, at best, a scientific crap shoot, scoring as high as 60% effective, to a low of 10%.

The volume of Covid talk finally got to me. I became more and more paranoid. What I would have dismissed as a minor irritation weeks before, now caused me concern about getting it and passing it along. Another change has been the reopening of testing centers. 6 months ago they were everywhere, but as little as 2 weeks ago, they were mostly gone. Well, they are popping up again, so finding a testing center and getting quick results is easy. 30 minutes after arriving, we had our results, negative. It was a relief for sure but why do I still feel shitty? For me it is September 2021 and this year sucks more than 2020, if that is even possible. Did we all get Covid complacent, or just lolled into a false sense of security? Maybe we all wanted to get back to our previous lives so bad, all we needed was a little encouragement and naive sense of vaccine security to push us into the waiting throngs. People have gotten so many of their freedoms back, such as concerts, sporting events and weddings, so, unless somebody decides not to attend something on their own volition, it will be damn hard to stop them. We are all smart enough to understand we cannot keep shutting down our economy like turning water off at a faucet. We cannot force someone to get a shot, nor cause them to wear a mask, often even when required, so I think the new normal is today. Get used to it.

Fly-fishing sounds good about now

My life certainly isn’t all gloom and doom. One bright spot I’m particularly excited for is fly-fishing lessons and a guided fishing trip. I dabbled with fly-fishing after graduating from high-school with a like-minded friend. We made several attempts during our regular pilgrimages to Yellowstone, but never kept it up. Over the years, numerous friends and colleagues have welcomed me to join them but for a variety of reasons (excuses), I never did. The last two summers brought me back to Yellowstone, and with it, a desire to fly-fish. I didn’t have any gear, so I purchased every book/magazine I could find on the subject. The more I read, the more appealing it became. I have always envisioned it as being therapeutic; solitary, with peaceful surroundings and the only sounds are of the wildlife and the water splashing over the rocks. When viewing fisherman in position, this is how I see them, so why wouldn’t I want a piece of that? My opportunity comes through a new friend, a recently retired attorney who just happens to be dating my sister-in-law after a 50-year break. Great story that, and great person too. I am taking a casting lesson next week followed by a day-trip into the Uintahs. Never too late to try something…again, for the first time.