Kinda not Ready...

[lydamorehouse]

 I'm trying to work on my lesbian novella on the other screen, but I am sitting here feeling awkward and... guilty?... and sad because a group of my friends is gathering right now, without me.

I want to be with them.

I am an extrovert by nature, but there's a couple of things going on. First, my family isn't yet fully immunized. Everyone's had their first shot, and I KNOW that confers a certain amount of immunity right away, but... even if they weren't? It's been a really long year of isolation. I'm feeling very vulnerable in gatherings. I'm just... I need to go slowly back into all of this, you know?

I had to take the public bus yesterday to pick up my car from the repair shop and... that exhausted me. 

I wouldn't mind starting to see people one-on-one, but there's a huge amount of pressure to rush into small gatherings.... and I've been a little broken by all this, y'all? I need time. I don't know that my friends are going to be truly okay giving it to me because we have all talked about how much we want this. 

And I do too?

But just... slowly please, and with care.

Can I ask for this? It's really hard.

Comments

[mtbc]

Makes complete sense, I hope your friends are accordingly supportive! Good luck with the adjustment.

[yhlee]

*support support* I am glad your friends are being supportive!

[offcntr]

Absolutely you can. I really think a lot of us are gonna be working through this trauma.

(Sends virtual Minnesota hug*)


*One finger touch to the shoulder, saying So, ya got here then, eh?

Well! Let me tell you...

[lsanderson]

You should do what makes you comfortable and nothing more. The mythical sweet spot is two weeks after the final vaccination, which would be two weeks after the last vaccination in your house. But, even then you do not have to find the most crowded bars and dance until dawn, or 2am, which is about as close as we ever feel comfortable here in Minnesota. You can still take life easy, as the grass grows on the weirs. Hmm, that last line seems familiar.

[sabotabby]

Totally makes sense. We're under complete lockdown (it was martial law but they had to walk that back) and we're not even allowed to meet outside with people we don't live with, so I have all kinds of awkward envy and sadness and guilt and fear. I think the best thing is for people to communicate their needs and boundaries. Which is easier said than done.