Mark texted the other day asking if I was interested in going to the Indy car races at Laguna Seca in September. We went in 2019 and had an absolute blast. The race took place last year in Laguna Seca again but, as with most events last year, no spectators were allowed. Early in the conversation he remarked on how weird it is to actually, you know, make plans.
And it is weird. And so, so wonderful.
I don’t know where you’re at in the arc of the pandemic. Myself, I’m one shot into vaccination with the second slated for next week. As it is, I’m about the last person in my bubble to get vaccinated. When Mark and I talked I had an appointment but not yet the shot. But just the appointment was an enormous relief: the end is in sight. There’s a proverbial light at the end of the tunnel and it’s not a train.
We can allow ourselves the extravagance of making plans with people we haven’t seen in a year.
As I write this, California is opening vaccinations up to everyone 16 and older on Thursday. I’ve read reports that nearly half of all adults in the state have had at least one shot. Now, the glass-is-half-empty person reads that and says, “Yeah, well, we need better than 90% in order to reach herd immunity, so we’re way behind.”
Fine.
But it’s a big, divisive state and we’re halfway there with a disease we’ve only been aware of for a little more than a year. The glass is half full, man. A year ago we were locked down with no idea how long it would last. My plans involved a sourdough starter (RIP Tina) and didn’t extend beyond that. My family, spread like beads on a string stretching from southern California to the top of Washington were keeping in touch with weekly Zoom meetings. Now I’m trying to figure out how and when I can visit them all as soon as possible.
This spring is hopeful.
Akilah and I are setting our sights beyond our comfortable confines in other ways as well. To start with, well, you’re reading a selfie post on Think Dude Think, so that’s a start. I’m planning to get back on track with thrice weekly updates: Selfie posts on Monday, new stories every other Wednesday, and Five Things This Week on Fridays. Beyond that, we’re starting to put together a plan for podcasts. All of this is under the umbrella of Think Dude Think Media which we’re putting together in a formal way (anyone been through the LLC process and have tips, please drop me a line!).
Plans are powerful.
Yesterday I went out to one of my favorite local hiking spots I haven’t been to much since the fall. I really got into hiking last year – outside, away from people (mostly), good for me… perfect pandemic hobby. Owing to daylight savings and the addition of an adorable puppy, I haven’t had a chance to make it to many of my (non-dog-friendly) hiking spots. But this one is special, and I needed to get out.
I was the first and only car in the Shell beach parking lot at first light, and I felt pretty underdressed in my typical hiking shorts and t-shirt in the 38° pre-dawn as I crossed highway 1 and headed up the Pomo Canyon trail. The key word there is “up,” because the first 2/3 of a mile are straight uphill. It gets your blood pumping for sure and warmed me right up. Going up, though, I thought of advice I was given years ago in Boy Scouts: when going up a long uphill, don’t look up. Keep your gaze within ten or fifteen feet of you, but looking up just makes you tired seeing how much farther you have to go.
That was how 2020 felt. Don’t look up. Just keep going. We’ll get up this hill.
The Pomo Canyon trail intersects with the tail end of the Red Hill trail just before it drops down into the eponymous Pomo Canyon and back down to near-sea level. Normally I take that opportunity to head up to the top of Red Hill, and yesterday was no exception. And, goddamnit, I looked up the entire time. At the top there’s a picnic bench and I planned ahead and made myself a really great cup of coffee as I looked out on the serpentine Russian River as it met the ocean and traced the coast down towards Bodega. I had the windswept hillside to myself with the sun rising behind me.
Right now, friends, it’s okay to look towards the top. We’re opening up slowly, safely, and, crucially importantly, we’re making plans again.
Stick around, there’s going to be a lot more content around these parts.
