Transitioning to "Normal"

 As we've discussed in multiple Town Halls and in our participatory governance meetings, the move towards re-opening of our campuses is accelerating, and new developments are posted daily--sometimes hourly.  We've talked a lot about the mechanics of returning, especially with regards to the re-engagement grid, as well as the logistics of maintaining safety and health protocols as we transition back into an on-campus environment.

However, we've not talked at length about the toll that the pandemic has taken in terms of our abilities to interact with each other.  After a year of faces in Zoom and dressing for work from the shoulders up, re-engaging individuals in full will require us to accept that the past year we've developed some trepidations about interpersonal engagement.

I fully understand that feeling, and I wonder how I'm going to react when I first walk into a room full of colleagues after a year of isolation.  As a result, I found this article on CNN--"9 Anxiety-Inducing Social Interactions as the World Reopens"--to be particularly helpful.

And if I don't shake your hand when I next see you, I hope you'll understand.