Whew! 2020 delivered one heck of a summer! Record-breaking heat in Green Valley, a pandemic, social strife, and a difficult election season have made for quite a stew. It will be tempting for all of us to forget those troubles and commence the winter season as usual. However, the pandemic is still with us. As we saw when college classes resumed, dropping precautions has dire results. Green Valley has enjoyed low COVID numbers thus far, and GVR will continue to do our part to sustain that trend.
If you are heading south this winter, please expect everything to be different. Everyone is wearing masks, which are required on GVR property now. Movies, concerts, lectures, and classes will happen, but you’ll be seated at least six feet from others. Occupancy limits are quite low for some high-demand activities (pools, fitness centers, studios) and members may need to make online reservations to use those spaces. For now, activities that are incompatible with social distancing will not be offered at all. Your patience and acceptance in the face of these new and sometimes disappointing conditions will be deeply appreciated. The staff have watched each other fall ill with COVID, and some have not fared well. Our understanding of “need” vs. “want” has shifted. Expectations have also shifted: disagreements are certain, but courtesy is required, no matter how grumpy we may feel.
Of course some things will be just as you always knew. The weather will be much better here than in Michigan. The mountains still turn pink and people still turn out on patios for a drink—we’re just keeping the party walls between us these days.
This will be a winter of relaxation, not bustle. A winter of conversations with close friends, instead of potlucks with the whole neighborhood. Consider trying a new activity! Shuffleboard, bocce, horseshoes, water aerobics, tennis, pickleball, corn hole and more are great ways to stay active, and be social—in a distanced way.
PS. Be sure to review the home page at GVREC.ORG for essential information before visiting centers. If you have not subscribed to the weekly e-newsletter, you will find a link to do so on that home page. Reading the weekly GVR “e-blast” will keep you up to date.