As we start to find our feet again as Covid restrictions ease, there is something missing – confidence.
Sure, we have to be cautious as we start to get out and about and mix more with folk. But not so cautious we undo the very thing we are striving for: normality.
The landscape today is very different to 18 months ago. The vaccination rollout is doing its job of lessening the impact of the coronavirus on individuals and society.
This is why we are seeing the return of the things that were taken away from us and we will never take for granted again. For me, that means being able to get back into theatres and halls for shows and gigs.
Reunited with the rest of the great unwashed
To date, I have sat in the stalls of His Majesty’s, overjoyed at the folk around me having a ball with the student show. I have been up-close-and-personal with Texas in their intimate gig at the Tivoli.
My return to the Music Hall was accompanied by the wonderful sound of the RSNO. Bond got me back into Cineworld.
And, just at the weekend there, I was delighted to be back in P&J Live to be thoroughly entertained by the rather marvellous Tim Minchin.
All that, plus I have sat at the bar in the Marine for a couple of beers, maskless no less.
Now, I’m not going to fib. My first close encounter with the rest of the great unwashed at the Texas gig came with a bit of trepidation.
No wonder. I’ve spent the past 18 months avoiding folk to the point of stepping off the pavement to keep my two-metres distance. The idea of having randoms sitting beside me, behind me, in front of me, was a thought.
But that lasted for about two minutes and then I just enjoyed having a shared experience in a theatre with other music lovers.
Now I will happily rock up to any event, large or small, and feel just fine about doing it. However, I recognise that worldview is not universally shared.
The more we do it, the more comfortable we will feel
There are many people who are still hesitant, scared even, of mingling with others or sitting beside strangers again. And that’s perfectly understandable.
That growing confidence will, in return, hasten the day when our chat is about the show we are looking forward to or the gig we just enjoyed
My experience, though, is that every venue I have been in has a scrupulous safety-first approach to welcoming people back. We have e-tickets, programmes are downloaded from QR codes, masks are still on when you are in your seat, there’s hand sanitiser at every turn and constant advice to use it.
And the vast majority of folk are doing their bit to be sensible about keeping the virus in check.
Theatres, cinemas, restaurants, pubs and everywhere people can gather for a good time are doing their bit to make us feel comfortable as we venture out into the world again. Now is the time to take advantage of that. The more we do it, the more comfortable and reassured we will feel.
That growing confidence will, in return, hasten the day when our chat is about the show we are looking forward to or the gig we just enjoyed or the night out we had down the pub with mates.
And, if we do talk about the impact of Covid, it will be in the past tense, because that’s where we all helped put it. And we need to do it. We need to get our lives back.
Scott Begbie is entertainment editor for The Press & Journal and Evening Express