Editorial: Being mindful as we gradually return to social interaction

Can you believe its been six months since the COVID-19 pandemic began here in the United States? Well, I could continue to talk about that, but I think I am going to turn my focus on what type of activities we can do to keep ourselves active.

Normally, transitioning from Summer to Fall in New Kent and Charles City would result in a lot of community activities. However, there are no county fairs, Chickahominy Pow Wow, and Shrimp Feast for this year. Fall Festivals are up in the air when it comes to activities to do as well. But as individuals, what can we do?

Well, the creativity continues to flow in both Charles City and New Kent from various organizations and church communities. From drive-thrus to honor those who passed away from cancer to events under tents for kids to play games, there are options for us to do. Concerts, pumpkin picking, and expected “Trunk or Treat” events will see modifications, but it’s the effort that people continue to put into these activities that make it worthwhile.

As communities, we are managing the spread as best as possible. It’s difficult because there are times where we want to be around people. Sports are slowly beginning to rev up and people are being more mindful by wearing their masks. Group activities are also minimizing the number of people that are attending, and school systems are planning to slowly bring students back for in-person learning.

What we are facing will never go away, no matter how hard we may wish for it to happen. As people, we must pray and work together to manage it. There will be times where we can’t do things like normal due to a cap on the number of people that can be in a venue. But what we want to do is build up each other and show that support, whether it’s in-person or virtually. From phone calls to visits, social interaction is returning, but we cannot become complacent.

Remember that we must remain steadfast in everything that we do. Let’s focus on building each other up and protecting each other. If you have symptoms from anything, stay at home. If you think you’ve been around somebody that may have had symptoms, stay at home. Remember, we can only get better if we play our parts. That includes getting better through modifications of social interaction.