Shall we gather for the holidays — or not?

I know many people have been chafing under the COVID restrictions; and are eager to meet with friends and loved ones again. But just when it looked like things might be settling down, omicron reared its ugly head.

COVID sure is a beast; in fact, it\’s like the mythological Hydra. Where\’s Heracles when we need him?

For many years, I’ve spend Xmas Day with the family that lived down the street from us when we kids were growing up. Last year COVID-19 held sway, and now the omicron variant is running rampant; so, shall we gather? I think it would be wiser not to, even though I\’d love to see everybody again. As long as COVID continues, I\’m not comfortable in a crowd; even when I\’m masked.

Disposable Filter Mask

We can\’t count on being able to hold the gathering outdoors. It\’s been very warm for December — too warm, in fact — but who knows when the weather will suddenly turn cold? Or, it might be pouring that day.

I also have a new concern in the health department. To make it short, it looks like I might have rheumatoid arthritis. If I do have it, I don\’t need to risk getting omicron!

At work, the first murmurs about a return to remote work have emerged. I\’ve been half-expecting it for a long time. The catch is, doing my job from home might not be possible. It involves physical handling of print books; and since I don\’t have a car, somebody else would have to transport those books between my home and my workplace.

It\’s a good thing I\’m taking vacation next week; and don\’t return to work until January 4, 2022. That gives me some time to weigh my options.