I long ago figured out that my life works best when I…
- Plan ahead…
- …but not so firmly that I'm thrown when things don't go as planned and I have to make a new plan or maybe even a series of new plans.
I know people who err both ways. They're constantly being caught by surprise by unexpected needs and events that they should have expected. Or, at the other extreme, they expect the universe to adhere to their schedule and don't understand that universes have a nasty tendency to not do that. And when things don't go the way they expected, they're clueless as to how to plot a new course. Sometimes, your G.P.S. takes you to a sign that says "Road Closed" and you have to figure out a new way to get when you're going.
One of the lesser but significant downsides to The Pandemic is it makes planning impossible. When things looked rosier than they do now, I bought semi-expensive tickets to see two of my favorite comedians perform locally — one in mid-October, one in mid-November. Those two dates and a few doctor appointments are just about all I have on my calendar.
Will I be going to those two shows? Wish I knew for sure. I don't even know if they'll have them. The October date is the third rescheduling of a show that was originally going to take place in June of 2020, then was postponed until February of 2021 and then to its new date. The question of whether I'll be in attendance on the new date starts with the unknowable — at the moment — question of whether Ricky Gervais will reschedule yet again.
And if it isn't, will I feel safe to go then? Again, that's unknowable — at the moment).
I've learned I just have to live that way. There are oodles of predictions out there about when our lives may normalize and I've decided it's easier to trust none of them. Some of them are educated guesses. Some are of the seriously-uneducated variety. So far, none of them have been right so I think this is one of those times when "I don't know" is the only reliable answer.
In the last few days, a half-dozen e-mails have asked me if I've heard anything about the announced Comic-Con Special Edition to take place November 26-28 in San Diego. It's darn near the only other thing on that calendar of mine.
Folks are asking me if I'm sure it's going to happen, when tickets might become available, when rooms might be rentable, if they'll require proof of vaccination, etc. Here's an absolutely true answer: I don't know. No one has told me anything lately.
The convention website says it's happening. The website of the San Diego Convention Center says it's happening. That's what I know. They've both said what they say for a while.
And I know one other thing: I know the people who run this convention are very skilled and very benevolent and they don't like keeping folks in suspense like this. If they had something firm they could tell us, they would. And when they do, they will. It's just one of those things that comes from living in such uncertain times.
The following is just me wondering aloud about something. I have spoken to no one in San Diego about this.
We currently have a recall election happening in this state. While I think Governor Gavin Newsom should stay in office — and have already voted accordingly — the polls have it as neck-and-neck.
If it doesn't go his way, the most likely person to replace him seems to be Conservative radio talk show host Larry Elder. Mr. Elder has zero experience in government which I gather is one of the reasons some of his backers back him. He has said, "When I get elected, assuming there are still facemask mandates and vaccine mandates, they will be repealed right away and then I'll break for breakfast."
This brings me back to I Don't Know territory. I don't know, of course, if Newsom will be turned out, I don't know if Elder will replace him.
If Elder is elected, I don't know how far he would carry that pledge. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed off on a law banning cruise companies from requiring proof of COVID vaccines to board ships in his state. He seems to be losing that battle but that kind of fight rages on there and in other states. In what sorts of public places might Elder or any other Newsom replacement try to block requirements of masks and/or proof of vaccination? I don't know.
I don't know if the State Legislature has the power to overrule a governor on this kind of thing or if they would. I don't know if it will affect the Comic-Con. I don't know if it will affect the facility in which the event will be held if it indeed is held.
The Convention Center is not a private business. It's a nonprofit public benefit corporation formed by the City of San Diego. Its website has a lot about this current policies on this page. Here's one key excerpt…
In California, unvaccinated people are required to wear face masks in all indoor public settings, including our convention center. Policies for vaccinated guests vary by event. Our State and County are also following CDC guidance in recommending everyone wear a face mask in indoor public settings, whether you've been vaccinated or not. Individual event organizers may be more restrictive than this guidance.
Will the recall election change this in any way? You can probably guess my answer but in case you can't, I'll give you a hint: It's a three-word phrase that starts with "I." The "I" is followed by a contraction and the phrase ends with the word "know." If you can't figure it out and you find yourself saying "I don't know," you've got it!