The Time Before

I miss hanging out with my friends, dining out, DJing, booking shows, going to shows, and spending hours in a record store. I miss working and earning dough. I miss sitting down at my local for my ritual mid-week, head-clearing martini. I miss having long, face to face conversations, the kind you never want to end. I miss museums, galleries, and movie theaters. I miss the time before I actually knew people who went in for absurd conspiracy theories, proclaimed themselves to be smarter than actual scientists, or outed themselves as boot-lickers. I yearn for pre-pandemic America so much it hurts.