Emergence

Like many people I have been vaccinated for COVID-19 and will soon have the maximum immunity. I understand that this does not mean I will be totally unable to catch or spread the virus, which remains deadly to many people. 

Based on trusted guidance about the risks:

• I will avoid being inside with people who I don’t know are vaccinated unless they are masked and there is proper ventilation and room for social distancing (in which case I will also be masked and will minimize extended contact).

• When outdoors, I will wear a mask only when in extended close contact with people I don’t know are vaccinated.

• Until herd immunity is achieved, the need to occasional sneeze and blow my nose due to persistent allergies will make it difficult to avoid freaking people out, so I will avoid being with others (unless we are all vaccinated) for more than an hour at a time.

The main difference from behavior before vaccination is that I am considering going indoors for other than unavoidable medical reasons.

My preference for entirely remote employment is consistent with my attitude about the virus. I have recently decided that I will also be willing to make infrequent visits to an office subject to the constraints above. My other reasons for remote work remain strong ones:

• My creativity and productivity are maximized when not subject to interruptions and expectations inconsistent with my work style.

• Commuting is dangerous as well as costly in resources and time; it should be avoided where it can be.

• I am in the process of changing my living conditions to match my values and abilities; an associated move would not risk interrupting remote work.

• I intend to continue working on my own projects, which would benefit from spending more time at home and having more control over my schedule.

Work Life

As could be expected, going back to work was a bit of a shock to my system. During seven months at home, I had gotten used to no commuting, being able to follow my creative instincts, and having almost total control over my environment. All that is now reversed: I spend more than an hour and a half on the road each day; must focus on what someone else wants me to do – even if I get a stray thought that my gut tells me to investigate or write about; and have only an iPod to shield me from the conversations erupting around my open cubicle. Not that I'm complaining: I can now pay my bills, help a large non-profit healthcare system operate more efficiently, and continue my research on the side (which has included a major revision to my population-consumption model). In addition, I've caught up on some reading and gotten a better idea of where my future focus should be.

This week, I've had to take a minor break from everything and learning first-hand how rigorous the U.S. legal system is in assuring that everyone is treated fairly in the service of justice. I can't help comparing it to how our government starts and executes our so-called wars, where killing people – the ultimate penalty – is based on innuendo and fear. While much of the rest of the country was cheering the assassination of Osama bin Laden, I was wondering, along with a minority, whether it wouldn't have been better to try him like the Nazis, and whether it might have set a dangerous precedent for effectively dictatorial power.