It started yesterday with a tickle in my throat, followed by a trickle in my nose and then a stuffed sinus turning into a cold.

But in this time of Covid, I couldn’t be sure. I cancelled my meetings, classes and dinner with friends.

Today, I went to get tested. Now, I’m waiting for the results.

I don’t know where I picked this bug up, and the last thing I want to do is give it to someone else. I’d already moved my January classes back to Zoom. Now I have to move what was to be an in-person fund-raiser at the library to an online event. And so it goes.

I keep telling myself, “It’s just a cold.” And then my wiser voice pipes up, “But maybe it’s not.” Maybe the pandemic is turning endemic – an illness or condition regularly found in a certain region. Maybe the Omicron variant has broken through my three vaccinations. Maybe that’s why whatever this is feels like a mild cold. I can cope.

My brain feels a bit dull, not quite up to writing the post I’d planned for today but perfect for picking up the phone for online technical support, something I’ve been putting off for months. I didn’t even mind talking to a machine in order to get through to a human. And now my contacts are syncing across devices again. I’ve spent the rest of the day reading.

All in all, not a bad day.

The Fifth Annual Writing to the Light Writing Circle scheduled to be in-person on Sunday will now be held on Zoom. Read about and register for this annual event here.