Today Brian and I visited Tybee Island, Georgia. This is one of the many islands that compose the " Low Country of South Carolina and Georgia. One of the challenges I set for myself was to climb to the top of the lighthouse-- conquering two fears I still harbor from childhood: a fear of heights & a fear of small spaces.
Hi. My name is Sarah. I fear heights and am seriously claustrophobic. I climbed a lighthouse. Furthermore, I climbed the last { narrowest} flight of steps alone . Brian chose to wait for me at the standing located just below the top stairs.
I came. I saw. I climbed and conquered.
Climbing the lighthouse is a good metaphor for how I see myself navigating the pandemic. At the beginning of both journeys, I did not know what lie ahead -- nor how long the climb would last. I could not see much ahead -- and this fact scared me.
The beginning of the uphill climb on narrow steps surrounded by brick walls and little natural light. Photo by The Pensacola Hippie.
Year 2020 was, for most of us, a year of figuratively putting one foot in front of the other. At times we thought the journey would never end-- as weeks turned into months and more people fell ill. I remember on some days literally feeling my safe, secure house walls close in on me. My mental health during the worst of COVID was another upward battle. There were many days when all I wanted to do was lay down on a landing and refuse to move forward. Each day looked exactly like the day before-- it was an endless spiral of uphill climbing.
Finally, the vaccines rolled out and I was able to look into the horizon of my life and see a future .
Yet the post-vaccine life is different. Although I am fully-vaccinated, I still feel an uneasiness about gathering in large crowds with strangers. I cannot, nor do I desire to, stay isolated in my protective bubble of church people , other vaccinated friends, and vaccinated family members forever. I need to venture out there again. My introverted nature also has me quite content to stay in the bubble of my { vaccinated} circle.
However, this is not possible. Brian and I are on vacation in Savannah this week-- and it has been wonderful. However, I've learned a few things. For instance I am not comfortable eating indoors at all. Thankfully, we've been able to find places here that offer outdoor seating , but I'm using strategy to get to the breakfast at the hotel before the crowds. I also learned that I'm still wary of public transportation: there are just too many people in those closed-in vehicles. I've managed to enjoy some indoor fun thanks to Savannah's commitment to EVERY PERSON MASKING INDOORS.
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