I’m scared, but I am hopeful

Sigh. Here we go.

After 18 months of online teaching, scares, anxieties, back surgery, and miscellaneous adventures, I will be teaching in person starting this Monday, Aug 30th.

Things were beginning to look good, at least in the US. Vaccination really took off in 2021, and at least officially, public policy returned to sanity in January. Then, what each and every competent person predicted, happened: Mutations. The engine of evolution and hence, biology, took the lead in the race between our public health and the pandemic.

I am too angry to even articulate my thoughts about the causes of the pandemic and its current spike here. At any rate, it doesn’t require a great deal of thought to figure out what I’d really feel like saying about it and the peopme who I blame for it.

But as customary, I digress.

Beginning this Monday, and possibly for the rest of the semester, I will work directly with 400+ students. My university is (thankfully) requiring masks when indoors, and even though my experience with the students at my institution has been overwhelmingly positive in the 16 years that I have been working there, well… Statistically, there will be some who will forget, some that will “forget”, and some who will plainly refuse to abide by the policy.  Heck, historically, there is a percentage that will never, ever, even look at my syllabi!

So there.

And it will only take one slip. One cough. One person forgetting to wash their hands.

Irrationally, I can’t help but feel selfish for expressing my fear. Thank heavens my immediate family has largely been spared true suffering. We are all healthy and vaccinated, and we are being careful.

And yet, every single day I read about horror stories of people who were careful, vaccinated, and despite all apparent precautions… You know.

Perhaps I should quit social media altogether to stop doomscrolling.

But I am also hopeful. I am vaccinated, I’ll get the boost as soon as appropriate, and I will take every possible precaution, I will try to use my scientific training to adhere to true discipline on taking care of myself and others.

The reality is that our mental health is as important as our physical health, and we are after all, social entities. Most of us need company and human contact. I know I do.

I am especially hyped at doing research full time again (I have so many ideas!), and to have the time for my writing projects (again, I have so many ideas!) 😃.

So, here’s to a great, healthy, safe, and productive semester for us all! If you want to talk, I am here!

~Oné

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