February 23: "Nice to Meet You"

It's been several months since I have met anyone new in person. Yesterday, I finally had my training to start volunteering with Meals on Wheels, and I met almost 20 new people, including the two volunteer coordinators and most of the clients on my assigned route. I hadn't realized how long it had been since I said the words "Nice to Meet You" and it was quite delightful. 

I know I've said this a lot, but it still continues to shock me how different life is during this pandemic. It still felt a little awkward meeting these new people, but we were all masked and kept decent distance, but most importantly many of them have had their vaccines so I knew I wouldn't be inadvertently infecting anyone, which has been my biggest worry throughout this whole thing. If I got COVID, I'm pretty sure I'd be okay, because I'm young and don't have any comorbidities (though I definitely worry about having long term COVID symptoms that several of my friends have experienced). But I also know that even without any symptoms, I could spread COVID to others, where it might have a more deadly effect. That has been my motivation for taking all precautionary measures seriously. 

Interestingly, now that I am volunteering for senior care, I am eligible to receive the vaccine, so I will be looking into getting it, again not only to protect myself, but also to try to protect others, especially now that I will be dropping off meals to vulnerable people once a week. Meeting all these new people, and experiencing something new, reminded me of what life used to be like, and gave me a glimpse of what life might be able to look like again soon. I especially loved meeting a few of the little old ladies on my route, who were super sweet and I look forward to seeing again. I was also very happy with my trainer, a young guy who works part-time for senior care, who did a great job showing me the ropes, sharing little tips and tricks, and introducing me to everyone. I appreciate people who have their sh*t together and who know how to train others. It also felt great to be out in the world doing something productive, and it's not hard work at all, so I'm happy to help. My scheduled route will be every Wednesday from 10am-12pm and I am delighted to be giving back to my community, even in this super small and easy way.

With delight,

♥Jamie