And I wanted to, I really did.
I was finally going to have drinks with that editor.
I sent countless I miss you/when can we hang?
It was not a question of would, but when.
It had been so long!
Sometimes, in those before times, these people and I would get very close to hanging out.
…
And sometimes, one of us would cancel at the last moment.
When this happened,Id inevitably feel a wave of pleasurethinking about my newly acquired patch offree time.
It wasnt that I didnt want to see people.
But there was so much else to do.
We were all so damn busy.
A look back at my February calendar reveals the irrepressible naivety of before.
There were meetings, lunches, Pilates (in a studio!
In March, my calendar goes dark after a visit to the periodontist.
A state of emergency was declared for New Yorkall things must stop.
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Vacation Fling Gets a Reality Check in New Romance Book Swept Away
Then something funny happens.
My calendar picks back up again, peppered with things to doall of them virtual.
To be totally honest, the firstonline happy hour was awkward.
We got better at it, though.
Talking in front of our devices from our own homes became more normal, if not natural.
And as invites started filling my inbox, Id respond almost eagerly (Yes!
Yes, I can talk!).
My calendar got full.
I suddenly had a standing video chat every Wednesday with the college friends from my study-abroad program.
Two different online writers groups agreed to meet on a recurring, monthly basis.
But it went beyond that.
With no one going anywhere, we finally had time to catch up.
The way I see it, the coronavirus is kind of like thattimes infinitum.
A pandemic has a way of reminding you what matters.
I keep asking myself, in this time, what might it behoove me to let go of?
But also, what do I really need?
Whats worth working harder to maintain?
(If they are, you got lucky.)
And what were we so busy with, anyway?
(Luckily they were old friends and laughed; see, those are the connections that matter!)
But Ive seen similar sentiments online.
There are so many new challenges.
Its just that weve been so busy.
Anyone up for a quick video chat?
…
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