Is It Over?

     For the first time in three years, I recently sat in the hallway at our local elementary school listening to a kindergartner sound out words from their beginning reader. I'm one of a number of volunteers from our local senior citizens center that help teach reading. We started over three years ago, but then the pandemic hit.

    The kids are allowed to bring a stuffed toy with them as a reading buddy. A boy named Jack told me his stuffed dinosaur was a Jellycat toy he named “Dinodude.” He told me that even his dad liked Jellycat plush toys. I'd never heard of them before but now I'm thinking that it seemed like a good ice breaker to inquire about the kids' reading buddies.

    So when Ian brought a plush golden bear out into our hallway reading station I asked him who was the stuffed bear. He looked at me as if I were odd. “I don't know. He's the school's,” he said with a slight disapproving scowl. I let it go but I wonder what would have happened if I'd followed up with, “Let's give him a name, shall we?” Not sure how Ian would have reacted. Do you think I might have been reported to the teacher? “That crazy old man out there. . . “

    But hey, I've heard that students have not only suffered loss of reading and math skills, but soft skills as well, during their absence from face-to-face learning. What's wrong with trying to communicate with students on their level while building their interpersonal and creative skills?

    Anyhoo, it's just nice that we're finally we're allowed back in schools to help in person. No masks required. No questions asked about our vaccination status either. So . . . is the pandemic officially over?

    It's harder to find the hand sanitizer that used to be front and center at our local supermarket. When I fell ill over the holidays, I looked for the place where I used to get tested for Covid just in case. Not open anymore. A little over a year ago our dentist office used to make us wait in the car until a staff person came out to check our temperature. Then we had to wear masks in the waiting room. Not anymore. Just walk in for your appointment now. No mask required.

    The change back to 'normal' is most evident in what is going on at our local church. Churches including our's were closed initially during the pandemic. Eventually they re-opened, but no handshakes, no passing the collection basket, no consecrated wine during communion and masks were worn everywhere.

    Slowly within the past few months that changed. The passing of the collection basket was the first to return. Now the large enclosed area that was “mask only” has been opened to mask optional. Plans are soon to bring back the consecrated wine to be given during communion.

    But Covid deaths in Michigan still number 20, sometimes many more, each day. And I'm turning 70 this year, so my age group is quite vulnerable. Naturally I still worry.

    This past weekend at church, the deacon asked us all to greet eachother at the beginning of mass, even inviting us to shake hands with those around us. What!? Shaking hands with strangers? No more elbow taps or fist bumps?

    I don't know. Hopefully our opening hymn won't be “Nearer My God to Thee.”