It’s been a year

I received the first dose of Pfizer vaccine this morning, exactly a year since the shutdown. The timing was completely coincidental. Still, it will help me to remember the day for years to come.

After my appointment at a pharmacy across the street from Port Authority Bus Terminal, I walked uptown along 8th Avenue. The sidewalks that used to be crowded with tourists were almost empty. Some locals were out for their morning brews. A few others, wearing their ID tags, headed to work.

“Rush-hour” traffic moved politely like a small-town parade. Without the delivering trucks blocking the view, one could see buildings on both sides of streets from one end of Manhattan to the other—something unthinkable. Colorless store closing signs replaced eye-catching promotional ones. Table settings of restaurants looked like long-abandoned stage sets. What haunted me the most was the absence of sounds and smells.

I made a stop at Whole Foods. Masks, disinfecting stations and shields have long been part of the new routine. Supply and demand seemed to be balanced. The prices of the goods quietly went up.

According to the weather forecast, we will have the warmest day since the beginning of the year. Hopefully, with spring quickly approaching, the city will gradually regain its charm.