Getting back to normal

Finally, signs are pointing toward getting back to normal.  

I have thrown away my face mask, turned my back on social distancing and resumed the handshake and hug as the normal way to greet a neighbor, friend or family member. 

I can throw caution about COVID-19 to the wind because I have been vaccinated (twice) against contracting or spreading the disease. Likewise, most local, state and federal anti-virus guidelines have been lifted, and business owners are free to resume normal business operations.  

More importantly, schools are open, and traditional events such as junior-senior proms and graduation ceremonies are back in on the calendar.  

The prospects are even brighter for the 2021-22 school year. No longer will life-size cardboard cutouts of spectators be used to fill seats in college football stadiums and basketball gymnasiums. Audiences will be live, and seats will be filled to capacity. 

Normalcy remains an objective to be achieved by some folks.  

Take President Joe Biden, for example. He continues to wear a facemask even though he has been vaccinated as a protection against spreading or catching the virus. He had a mask on recently when he participated in a telephone conference with top officials from throughout the world.  

His reasoning is not being willing to take a chance of spreading the virus to someone who hasn’t been vaccinated. 

A look around town is all that’s needed to identify a large number of people still wearing face masks. You’ll see them on the faces of many storeowners or managers and employees, even though most have removed signs asking shoppers to observe a mask wearing policy.  

A large number of shoppers are continuing to wear masks; however, 6-foot social distancing signs on floors have disappeared.  

Restaurants are still enforcing social distancing guidelines for their customers, while fast food establishments, while they allow customers to eat inside, are focused on serving orders through drive-through facilities.