The Hometown football team is headed to the Super Bowl for the second year in a row. Sadly, the fan “vib” this year isn’t quite the same for many of us.

Last year, the Metro was one big party for the weeks before & after the Super Bowl. Just buying new Chiefs gear was a celebration in itself. That celebration took place up close with lots of strangers. Everyone stopped to talk to everyone else. “Social distancing” was not a catch phrase for something that could mean life or death. “Masks” were something that doctors in surgery or people on the other side of the world would think to wear. You could see other people’s entire faces and hug a stranger and be “safe”. Life was good.

2020 started in our town with celebration that all could participate in. However, then came COVID.

This year, I stayed home and made my Chief’s “AFL win” T-Shirt purchases on-line and alone. Sigh. That was not really much fun… Running all over town hunting for the “right” T-shirt last year/same time was fun. So was running around all over the Metro gathering information for a human interest news story about the team’s win. People are very interesting. I so enjoy being with people. I miss being with people.

However, in early 2021, I now (hopefully only temporarily) have my normal way of life put totally on hold. Unlike this time last year, I currently don’t have a place to wear my new T-shirt. I won’t be sharing with other Chief’s fans who would normally be out in force showing off their own new purchases to celebrate their team’s victory. Fans have great stories to share with each other. People were meant to be together and share.

Sadly, going out into crowds (for any reason) these days is anything but smart. A pandemic changes things in a big way. A deadly virus is something that people should NOT be sharing. January 2021 has been the most deadly month so far for COVID-19. Over 96,000 known Americans died from COVID in this this one month alone. Even more were left with lasting with long term symptoms and new diseases that will significantly shorten their lives. We cannot lose sight of that.

For my personal “Super Bowl Bound” memory, this year, I bought one oversized T-shirt that I can wear at home as a sleep shirt; in addition to a regular T-shirt. At least, my hubby will get to see them. Hopefully, there will be more years in which there will be more Championship wins for the Kansas City Chiefs to celebrate in a normal way. One way or another, my staying home this year – rather than going into a store (or worse yet, a bar) – means I have a better chance of continuing to be on Earth & then be able to celebrate a lot of future years of all kinds of different things.

Celebrating another Super Bowl win would be nice. However, staying alive & healthy is much nicer.