Editor’s Note
$20 in Vegas
Or How I Celebrated My Vaccination
After I got my COVID shots (Pfizer/no side effects/CVS), I boldly went where apparently every man — including the unvaccinated — has gone before: Las Vegas.
A non-gambler, I headed to Vegas to spend Vegas-quality time with several equally vaccinated family members. I took $20 to feed the slot machines. If I had lit it on fire with a match, the money would have lasted longer than it did during my minutes-long gambling junket.
The point here is not that I’m a lousy and, frankly, timid gambler. It’s that the vaccine has given me the freedom to GET OUT OF HERE and TO BE AROUND OTHER PEOPLE.
As someone who isn’t burdened by unpleasant drug side effects, anti-vax angst, or a general suspicion of the medical community and people who are a lot smarter than me, getting the COVID vaccine was a no-brainer. I can hug my 87-year-old dad again, return to church, eat in a restaurant and, because I didn’t have a match handy, lose $20 in a Vegas slot machine rather than set it on fire. Isn’t science great?
We’re Back
We chose “Together Again” for this May/June issue long before we knew that places would start reopening. Call it wishful thinking. Call it luck. Whatever the reason, we happened to hit it right. This spring and summer, we’ve got concerts and live music returning to Northeast Ohio, programs are expanding at community centers and parks, and many families and friends are finally spending time with each other. I hope you’ll find things to do in our What’s Happening listings in the back of the magazine.
A few other highlights: please read our Beachwood Community Focus section to learn more about this popular eastside Cleveland suburb. And if you’re in the mood to remarry, we have experts who can walk you through the encore marriage minefield and offer spot-on tips for combining households.
Finally, I think you’ll enjoy our story about social media influencers, some of whom are right here in Northeast Ohio. You may have been following an influencer and didn’t even realize it. See what’s the big deal about someone else’s opinion.
Throughout the summer, we’re taking nominations for our Boomer Impact Awards: people in the region who make life better for people 50+. You can send your nominee names and contact information to [email protected] through Sept. 20. Watch our website northeastohiothrive.com for more details.
I hope you have a safe, CDC-compliant start to summer. Find something to celebrate — maybe something that doesn’t involve $20 and a slot machine.
Marie
