Unmasked

Abstract

Introduction: This week I share with you a post-pandemic reflection from Chris Chang, former Barre Family Health Center resident, who is now at the Austin Regional Clinic in Austin, Texas. He has written several times before for FMM. The reflection below explores how we return to "normal" after a tumultuous three years. Definitely, not easy. Chris wrote this to me: “After nearly exactly three years, our clinic today moved to optional masking for staff. It was a strange day filled with mixed emotions for me. I'm still working on wrapping my brain around it, and this is part of that process. It is a bookend to the poem "Heroics" that I wrote and sent in near the beginning of the pandemic. Many thanks for keeping the fire burning.”