I sat in my car today reading for almost thirty minutes. That used to be a frequent occurrence for me. Living twenty to thirty minutes away from many of Calvin's activities meant that we always carefully organized our schedules around maximizing fuel and time usage; some of his classes were my time for grocery shopping or other errands in town, and I always made sure I had a book in the car for those times when I finished early, or classes when I just waited, enjoying the peace and quiet.
That was back when things were normal. Pre-Pandemic. We've certainly saved a lot on gas and mileage over the year, and of course commute time as well, since it takes less than a minute to climb the stairs to Zoom in a bedroom or the basement, and I can't say that I haven't appreciated the extra family time. I'd be lying, though, if I said I didn't miss the busy days at all.
Today marked Calvin's first in-person dance practice in over a year. His studio worked hard to keep kids involved and learning from home all through this difficult year, and this coming weekend the competition they traditionally take part in will be staged with a multitude of safety measures in place. Last spring would have been Calvin's first time competing with his team if a pandemic had not arrived just in time to cancel it. This year we've decided that his studio's dedication to the kids' safety means we can actually let him participate, in person, in real life, in what will be a rather unusual dance competition.
Tonight was the one and only in-person pre-competition rehearsal. And I celebrated by sitting in the parking lot with a good book.
