Back Into the Swing of Things
Back on May 16th, I got up early, put on funny clothes, and got in the car to head out to the High Point Museum to do a flax spinning demo. I’d loaded my wheel and most of my gear the night before, and just had a few things to grab in the morning. In 2019, that would have been a pretty typical Saturday. It should have been a typical Saturday in 2020 as well. It was definitely not a typical Saturday in 2021. It was my first event back post-vaccine.
It was outdoors and small (about half a dozen of us in kit, with under 50 total visitors over the course of the day). Lunch was part of the event, but disposable cups and plates were used. The other participants were also vaccinated, so we were able to be closer together and hug. It felt really strange to be able to do that for the first time in over a year with people outside my household. My normal explanation of spinning felt a little rough, but over the course of the day I started finding my rhythm again. When visitors weren’t around, we had great conversations about music (including deep dives into music theory), historic clothing, and cooking. We were able to just enjoy the weather and site and each others company without worrying (too much).
It was a good reminder of why I enjoy putting on funny clothes and interacting with people, but it was also a good reminder of how much it takes to do that. I need to keep easing into it, rather than trying to go right back to the kind of schedule I kept pre-Covid. I wore stays/a corset for a couple days prior so that I could remember how to breathe and move while wearing one. I got up earlier than usual so that I could not feel rushed getting ready and dealing with my hair. I packed extra snacks and a water bottle so that I would have enough to eat and try to stay hydrated during the day. And I crashed early after I got home, and was dragging a bit the next day. I need a few more relatively close one day events before I’m ready to dive back into big two-day events again. But they’re coming.