I'm sitting in a hotel room in Richmond watching Corpse Bride. It's funny because I'm in town for a wedding. It's also probably not funny because I'm in town for a wedding. My sense of humor is an acquired taste. But...it's also 31 Days of Halloween on Freeform and I don't have cable at home, so I feel obligated to watch it.
I haven't been this far away from my house since March. I haven't stayed in a hotel since February. I haven't worn makeup or heels since March (probably?). I haven't been around a large group of mostly people I don't know since March 7 when I took my brother to a DC United game for his birthday. My life exists in a small bubble of sameness: get up at 5 to feed the cat and work out, work from home, make dinner, binge watch sixteen seasons of Top Chef, make some embroidery art, go to the grocery. Occasionally, I get wild and go to Target or Michaels. Sometimes I order food from DoorDash. Last weekend, I had socially distant tacos and coffee with friends. I'm sure my pandemic life is similar to a lot of people. We're trying hard to do the right thing since we can't rely on federal leadership to do anything to help manage what's going on. We should be able to, but we can't. Ratings are more important than people's lives, at least that's what the Idiot in Chief thinks.
But I digress.
Doing normal things during an incredibly abnormal time feels strange. I talk about this all the time with friends and co-workers. The amount of extra planning that goes into doing things like getting a cup of coffee with someone now involves looking at all the angles. Is there outdoor seating? If not, is there an open space nearby? Do you have to pre-order the coffee? Can you pay with a card only? How close is the line to get into the coffee shop to the outdoor seating area? How many people is too many people? Do I have enough hand sanitizer? So many questions to get a cup of coffee.
I know many people have put plans on hold for things like weddings, and I'm sorry that's something people have to do. The wedding I'm attending was supposed to be a month ago, in a different venue. The couple had to re-plan everything and found a new venue, outdoors, to give people more space and feel more comfortable throughout the day. It's a smaller event, with a lot of people who live locally. I appreciate all the work that went into ensuring we all feel safe while we celebrate their day.
I also know some people reading this will judge me and the couple and the others in attendance. I get it, I do. I've thought about whether to attend this wedding a lot. As someone who has been telling everyone to be responsible and do the things we're being asked to slow down the spread of this virus, I asked myself if I was being irresponsible. My bubble is my parents and my brother. They're the only people I regularly see, and I stay home and am careful so I can continue to see them once or twice a month. I can also say I've done nothing but be safe and think of others since March. I stay home, I wear my mask, I only make necessary trips to the store. I wash my hands all the time. Since I live alone, I can easily self-isolate for the next two weeks just in case. This will get me to Halloween. Then it's Election Day, and I'll do the same thing after that day. If all goes as planned, I'll see my family for Thanksgiving. Since I plan to break the bubble, I plan to stay away from the bubble until I know I won't cause them any harm. That's how it works.
And so I sit in my hotel room watching Corpse Bride. Normally, I'd go for a walk or find some fun local activity to do until I need to get ready to go to the wedding later today. There's no reason to wander or browse or meander. I went as far as the lobby cafe for coffee. I'll venture out in a little while to find something for lunch. I'm trying to figure out which mask goes with my dress because that's a thing we have to do now...masks, but make it fashion. It feels decadent to sit in bed, drinking coffee and watching a random movie away from home. It feels decadent being away from my house.
But I'm glad I ventured away from my bubble, if just for a few days. The joy of seeing my friend get married is worth the planning and the considerations. Joy is a form of resilience, and we all need to find it were we can.
Reminder: Show your good citizenry! Check out this post for the details of my Be a Good Citizen project. Use this link to complete a short questionnaire on your good citizen-ing. I'm like the Oprah of rewarding good citizenship: "You get a piece of original art! And you get a piece of original art!"
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