Thursday Thoughts - COVID has Changed Me

I didn't think I'd ever write something like this.  But here I am, writing it.

TSO 2019

This is a picture I took from the last concert I attended in person, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra (and from the front row too!).  They are doing sales now for fan club members who registered to be part of an early sale.  Unfortunately none of their shows are as close as I would like (closest is at Mohegan Sun in CT) - not even Albany which is where I have gone for years!  By the time I got into the sale this morning, most of the good seats were gone and I'm thinking, you know, I think maybe I won't go this year...or maybe I'll see what's available later when maybe I'm further away from people.

I love TSO.  They have been a concert staple for me for at least 10 years.  But COVID has changed me.  I no longer want to be in the front few rows or sections sitting practically on top of people's laps because they jam those seats as close together as humanly possible.  I'm disappointed, but not terribly so.

Same goes for New York Comic Con (NYCC).  The past several years I have gone all 4 days of the event, loving the train trip down and the subway travel to the Javits Center, and the busyness of the day and the crowds and everything.  This year, though they have reduced the capacity for each day, I'm really only excited about the first day - because I go with my bestie Jess!  But, though they have started to release panels and guests for other days, I don't have tickets for those days.  And I'm okay with not going.  I have this special membership thing and I'm trying to figure out how the online access works for things.  And I might go down one more day.  But usually I wind up getting all the stuff I want to on the first day and then use the other days for panels.  And I'm okay with not being in that environment.  At least not this year.

As I was contemplating these two events that I missed last year I realized that COVID has changed me.  I enjoyed people having to give space on line in a grocery store, because who needs someone hitting you with their cart?  Or hovering in your space?  I'm okay being together with smaller groups - like at church or work.  But I'm not sure about HUGELY LARGE groups.  At least not yet.

I didn't think it would change me the way it did.  But it has.  And I just thought I'd share.