by: suzanne westover
they say once you’ve learned how to ride a bike, you never forget. i had assumed that getting back into the swing of things, once double-vaccinated and unmasked — at least outdoors — would be much the same.
pre-pandemic, i would have told you that i’m an extrovert through and through. people are my jam. old, young, tall, short, quiet, loud, obstinate, agreeable, creative, linear, acerbic, outgoing, shy … regardless of shape or size or personality, i have always been a highly social creature.
this didn’t bode well for my solitude-seeking seatmates on planes, or for my fellow commuters wishing for 45 minutes of blessed silence. i recently did a work-related personality test, and what i lack in analysis and structure, i make up for in sociability. one-on-one is fine with me, but when groups were allowed, my favourite opener was, “did i tell you the story about … ”
but after 18 months of solitude, the few times i’ve found myself in social settings my instinct has been to retreat. if i do participate anywhere near my former level of zest and verve, i’m spent like a wet noodle, pummelled by exhaustion from something that would have previously left me recharged, zinging with anticipation for the next encounter.