Where were you when you realized that—after dozens of false starts and busted projections—we were finally on to the new normal?
I was on the patio at my favorite taproom in town, which had remained shuttered for the entirety of the pandemic, when I realized I had spent about three hours there, talking to two guys I’d never met before, maskless, without worrying about infectious disease. Oh, we’d made the customary disclaimers about our vaccination status at the beginning of the chat—a ritual which is quickly becoming the new handshake—but after that we’d spent hours debating football and pizza ovens without revisiting the subject. It was… well, pretty normal.
Fourteen months ago, I used this space to make a promise to you: “These are trying times, and we don’t know what the next month will bring. But know that we’re here, working hard to serve our community as journalists. If you’ve got a story idea, a cause to promote or an important question that needs to be asked of people in power, we’ll do our best to help.”
We did just that. Not only did we keep you up to date on challenging times for the city’s culture and economy, but we also published lengthy interviews with the father of the MRNA vaccine, a scientist who has studied coronaviruses for a decade, and allowed mental health experts to share concerns about the silent toll taken on our little ones. We dove into the culture of mask-wearing before it was a political football and gave teachers a platform to anonymously share their concerns about the return to in-person classes. We did what we said we were going to do with this platform, and I hope it helped just a little.
This editor’s note is typically the last thing I write every month, when I can pause and take stock of what’s in the issue you’re holding. Looking at the June book, I’m startled by the normalcy. With the exception of large events and touring shows, it sure feels like we’re on to a
new era.
Our summer fun package is a look at the best ways to spend these warm sunny months, and this year we’ve divided it into activities that are brand-new and activities that are coming back. There’s a lot of great ideas in there—more than enough to fill out your calendar for the next three months. But I strongly suspect that, as I write this, even more is in the works.
Get vaccinated if you haven’t yet, then get out there and enjoy it.
