It’s Time For Social Foreplay

In a couple of weeks, 3 of the 4 occupants of our home will be fully vaccinated. This is cause for (not so much joy as) a modicum of relief.

And while it's great that California announced that it will hold a lottery where 10 vaccinated people will have a shot at winning $1.5 million each, we didn't do it for the money.

But the process of reversing a year and a half of social Puritanism and transitioning our mindset to one of social promiscuity is not easy on the psyche. We are asking ourselves all kinds of questions about what constitutes "good touch" and "bad touch."

A few of the dilemmas we've had to resolve as virtual school wraps up, and the discussion that has surrounded them:

• Graduation ceremony, outdoors, masked and distanced: good touch
• Hugging grandparents once all parties are fully vaccinated: good touch
• Group photo of unvaccinated elementary school graduates standing near one another: bad touch
• Vaccinated family we know and trust coming over for an outdoor, distanced meal on our deck: good touch
• Kids inviting friends over for ping pong on the deck: good touch
• Drive-by graduation parade followed by outdoor, BYO picnic in the park, distanced: good touch
• Non-sanctioned outdoor graduation pool party, kids and families we don't know beyond the screen: bad touch
• Welcoming and housing relatives who travel by plane to visit: bad touch (air travel exposure + asymptomatic carrier status might bring infection to our remaining unvaccinated family member)
• Visits to national parks: good touch
• Staying with relatives where we can divide the house and occupy a private wing: ambivalent leaning toward good touch if everyone agrees to certain ground rules (never occupying the same indoor space, all meals on the patio)

Leaning back into social life feels good but also reckless.

I'm not sure I'm ready to go much beyond first base.

Is it wrong to want a safe word?