November wall bouquet in front of my parking spot, New York State Fairgrounds.

November wall bouquet in front of my parking spot, New York State Fairgrounds. I got my covid booster this morning. I'm grateful. But returning there for the third time, a wave of collective grief washed over me — another layer of feeling the vastness of this terrible thing that has enveloped us all. I don't want this for our new normal.

But facing it and feeling it was okay. It was good. I let it wash over me. My days are almost creepily fine, from small moment to small moment, and the cognitive dissonance that builds up within that can feel thick, foggy, confusing. I welcomed this small clarity, the bracing fresh air of it, and the decision to get back out of my car and capture this image of stark beauty sprung from adversity.