March 19, 2022 – The Fifty-Seventh Offical Friday Night BeerBlog

I didn’t necessarily want to give any more screen time to COVID, but the fact that we just passed the two year anniversary of all things COVID related, and because at some point this blog and all of it’s contents will be living as a gift to history, I felt compelled to write about it.

The Seriousness of Two Years

Two years. That’s a long time in a relationship. I mean a year feels just like an appetizer compared to two years. There’s something about crossing that two year line that it feels more permanent. I remember when dating someone for a year felt pretty new every day; doing spring for the first time with this person, then summer, fall, and enjoying all the holidays together for the first time. It was something new around every corner.

Then suddenly you cross the two year line and it’s like, two years? We’ve been through all four seasons together twice. It takes on a new meaning. This thing must be serious. At two years you’ve entered new territory. The honeymoon phase is over and there is the assumption we must be in love and most assuredly will be together forever. Because two years is just this side of forever.

Stay Together Or Break Up?

But at this point you really start to see the real side of this other person. All those little quirks you used to think cute are just on your nerves now. You know, staying in used to be so much fun. Now you’re just bored. You’d even go and hang out with people you used to avoid just to see a different face, hear another voice.

But being together has become familiar. You’ve moved all your stuff into their apartment and it will be a pain to get it all back and resume your old life. And it’s not bad all the time, but increasingly so, you must admit. You avoid the conversation and just keep your head down in this relationship.

Breaking Up With Covid

This relationship with COVID has run its course. I can’t think of anyone who is still willing to try to make this thing work. Beyond the sadness of loss of life, it had its qualities. We enjoyed the ability to stay home and get to do things we hadn’t done in a long time, like take long walks. You didn’t have to see or talk to anyone you didn’t want to, because, ya know, transmission. And if you hear just one of those little covid phrases that used to be so clever, like “the new normal” or “covid killed it” of a business that may have gone under, you’ll scratch someone’s eyes out.

A friend of mine created and published a song each week dubbed “Quarantunes” that he just ended this week. Shit, even the podcast version of this blog became a weekly covid quarantine thing for us. People are done. But like with any long relationship that ends, it will take a while to work through the residual. Will the world ever be the same? Or is it changed forever? Like being in any long-term relationship, things will always be a little different.

When It’s Time To Go, It’s Time To Go

Do you remember the movie “Sleepless in Seattle” where Annie is in a long relationship with Walter and she thinks she is okay and has accepted that this is the way it is and what it is? Then she gets a glance at Sam and realizes that there is something better and more meaningful waiting for her in life? Well covid has become Walter. He was a big deal in the beginning, but we’ve outgrown him. We can see that there is something better for us waiting just ahead.

I see that something better for me. So I’m sorry covid, but our relationship has run it’s course. I’m going to have to say goodbye. I’ve learned a lot from you. I’ve learned what I want in a relationship and don’t, what is important to me and what is not, and who is important to me and who is not. Don’t worry, it’s me, not you. You are nothing more than you ever said you would be. And I am a different person now. It’s time to move on.

LLM

You want the podcast version?

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1594894/10277080