When they were first established, I paid zero attention to what the colors meant in California’s tier distinctions. Is purple good? What color are we in now? It all felt so pointless trying to keep track of it all a year ago. There were more important issues, like counting the rolls of toilet paper in your house, and buying limit 1 per household items like eggs, pasta or milk.
As strange as things felt this time last year, there has been some actual progress. I have my ‘favorite’ mask, know the aisles at the grocery store like my own house, and most importantly, have received the first of two vaccinations being distributed.
I am now checking out what color restriction tier we’re in. It has now become worth knowing. From most severe to least, they are: Purple, Red, Orange and Yellow. A strange assortment and order of colors, yet somehow fitting for the circumstances.
The social media for LDM this year has had a (predictable) underlying theme of COVID-19 fallout, and pandemic woes. We can’t help it, it’s been a painfully relevant topic. To be fair, a lot is riding on the success of these risk levels improving at a certain pace. I would prefer to talk about anything else, however reflections after a year of the initial impact seemed fitting. Especially when there is hope that at this time next year, even more progress has been made toward familiarity.
Genuine optimism has crept into the state, and not in the naïve way we all felt last summer. There is now a lot more happening than the unambiguous talk of what’s to come. The change is all around us now. For example, the popular Northern Californian music festival, Outside Lands is happening, just 6 months from now.
Read it, it’s worth your time, if only to see how things are being reported. Cautious optimism, with the hope of having an event at full capacity. The producers are counting on the restriction to upgrade to the orange (moderate) tier by the time Halloween weekend arrives. So much ambition, I can hardly believe it’s even a possibility. Though I have no intention of attending, as my concert days are in hibernation (plus I’ve already seen The Strokes plenty. They’re great), I’m almost just as invested. It does serve as a If Outside Lands can do it, so can other event producers. Other events are on the horizon, perhaps one more applicable to you.
Kube Con + CloudNativeCon North America is scheduled from 10/12-10/15 in Los Angeles and AWS is slated for 11/29-12/3 in Las Vegas. Click their links to fill your mind with the concept of conventions and keynote speakers again.
The time of anticipation is almost done. The waiting will soon be over, replaced with the recently unfamiliar schedule of constant work. It’s time to hang the sweatpants up, everybody. It was strange while it lasted.