Three days ago, a rather beefy reservist dressed in camouflage removed the needle from my left arm as I relaxed my flinch face. Seeing no blood, I was not given a cartoon band aide. I thanked him, he thanked me and pointed to the exit. Iâm not sure anything can be theatrically climatic after waiting so long, but this was medium anticlimactic. I had imagined both more and less emotion about it all. This is the new abnormal. Thereâs no roadmap for whatâs next.
I walked away mainly surprised that the vaccination race is going much faster than I had imagined, at least in Utah. I was hoping to be part of the healthy, vaccine card waving 65-plus mob jet setting for six months or so. I thought it would be like those 55-plus communities popping up all over the valley. We would all band together celebrating our age and good fortune. I was hoping to receive a stream of low-cost travel offers aimed at vaccinated seniors. âCruise the Caribbean and get a knee replacement or dental implant and recuperate on a sunny deck while sipping an exotic fruit drink or three,â they would shout across the internet. Iâm still waiting.