Out of Jail But Still on Parole

After I was vaccinated I started having meals with friends for the 1st time in over a year.  I was stunned by the benefits of face-to-face contact.  1st there is the joy of hugging someone.  2nd conversations are so much easier.  I know to be silent when I see another person take a breath before they start to speak.  I can see micro-expressions, like a tightening of the mouth, that are hidden by a mask and hard to see in the tiny faces of a group Zoom call.  It is also easier to hear what people are saying when they are not wearing a mask.  Increased visual and auditory input means I no longer have to concentrate to understand what friends and family are saying.          Less work = more fun.

I am still on parole because stores and medical offices in my area still require masks.  homeafterstroke.blogspot.com