It’s already February. Next month, we’ll have lived in pandemic limbo for one full year. My son’s paternal grandparents and aunt received their first dose of the vaccine in Washington state recently. Last week, my Dad and his wife received their first dose of the vaccine. But overall the national rollout has been too slow, especially with the new COVID variants on the loose. Realistically, we’ve likely got another year to go before we reach the new normal. When it is time to be among other humans, it will be an awkward re-adjustment for me. And for others who have been hunkered down at home, taking COVID seriously. This piece in The Atlantic — The Pandemic Has Erased Entire Categories of Friendship — only fueled my longing for contact with others, particularly the acquaintances I used to encounter at live music shows.
In tangentially related vaccine news, one of my favorite podcasts released an episode about a topic that hits close to home. I come from a highly neurodivergent family (myself included). My son was diagnosed with autism at the peak of this mass hysteria. At the time, other parents accused me of causing my son’s autism because he’d had his routine childhood vaccinations. Despite being thoroughly debunked, the anti-science anti-vaccine movement continues on. Listen to this episode. The special guest is reporter/writer Eric Garcia, who is autistic. He also has a book coming out called “We’re Not Broken.” I’ve pre-ordered my copy from Moon Palace Books (support independent booksellers).
Now for a list of five good things heavy on the nostalgia (good and bad):
- All 80 issues of “Punk Planet” now available for free online. Oh, memories. I devoured issues of Punk Planet for several years before and after my son was born.
- The fine folks at 99% Invisible put out an episode about the skyway systems in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Again, nostalgia overload.
- Generally, I prefer reading fiction books over listening to them. But non-fiction? Audiobook! Especially when one of the authors is a talented comedian and her equally delightful sister. Amber Ruffin and Lacey Lamar on Their Book, “You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey” — check this book out, if you haven’t already. They share their experiences of being Black women in comedy and growing up in Omaha.
- Mike Birbiglia is another comedian I enjoy. In this piece for The Vulture, he looks back fondly at some gigs from early on in his career and the transition into the Zoom comedy of now.
- Oh, how I miss live music shows. The venue I’ve probably spent the most time in is the combo of First Avenue and the 7th Street Entry. And its owner has spearheaded the Save Our Stages movement, to get financial assistance from the federal government for shuttered business like venues. All Or Nothing: Dayna Frank’s Ambitious Plan to Secure Funds for Indie Venues On the Brink
Bonus: Between winter and the pandemic, it’s hard to get my son to go anywhere. Not there is really anywhere to go. We have groceries delivered and get curbside pickup or takeout from restaurants occasionally. When I do leave, I mainly just go on walks. Last weekend I lured my son out of the house for the first time in weeks. For an outdoor adventure, in search of Zug Zug the caveman (photo below). Still no word on the location of his partner, Zarah.
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