On Thursday, May 27 at 4:20pm, I got the COVID-19 vaccine.
As I drove home, I imagined myself covered with a blanket. I could rest from the stress I'd experienced from the pandemic. Any news I'd hear afterward about it, would be noise.
For the past year-plus, I'd cooperated with the CDC guidelines. Giving up my rights as a healthy American citizen like I never thought possible. I'd been disappointed events had canceled or gone virtual. Such things included Bible study and writing group meetings. How much better my life will be, how much more I can be myself now that I don't have to wear my mask as much or anymore! {Let me hear a shout from my fellow extroverts.}
Other than feeling mildly tired and sleeping a lot the next day, I didn't experience any other side effects. I was at Panera Saturday morning, writing some more of The Unknown Beautiful Missing Piece.
This past week, though, I've been distracted, unable to concentrate, overwhelmed, restless, irritable, and confused. I didn't have as much time to write, as I wanted. If I didn't have piles of laundry to do, I had an important event to attend.
It's an opportunity to socialize, which I haven't been able to do without COVID restrictions. That was my thought as I pried myself away from the laptop, put on my t-shirt and shorts, and went out.
It's now approaching the weekend and I haven't worked much on Unknown. The only "writing" I've done is looking through the second book of my journal entries called Light & Momentary Troubles. I'd composed this around 2019 and looked over it whenever I had a lull in my other works in progress. At the time, they were Writing Soul Mates and Nick Clemente's and my memoir. I checked it one more time for spelling errors and even deleted some content.
There is such a thing, and I've experienced it myself, as being too stressed to write. I've been there more times I've thought possible. This may be another one of those moments. Only difference is, it's good stress. I've overcome a major milestone that has affected everyone around the world.
Having written all this, I think my one side effect is what I call vaccine afterglow. This is a moment for me to let it sink in about how much better my life will be, now that I'm unmasked. I know it will elicit even better ideas than what I have now for my writings. And it will glow when I put it on paper.
