Garden Club of Wiscasset’s plant sale last weekend and other events and venues reopening have seemed like old home week, people seeing others they haven’t seen in so long due to the pandemic, or at least had seen much less frequently, maybe just out walking or in the store. And I saw no maskless faces at the sale.

That is great, to still be respectful and caring of one another as restrictions ease under various scenarios. And although I heard none of it at the sale, many places one goes these days, people are talking shots – if they have had them, how many and when. Discussing that publicly is OK, and relevant, and normal. It is still the big news as part of one of the biggest stories, maybe the biggest news story, in a generation. But on social media and elsewhere, I occasionally see some shaming or near shaming of those choosing so far to not get the shots, for medical or other personal reasons, maybe even political ones.

Whatever their reasons, they are indeed theirs, and not for others to criticize, question or outright shame someone over. There is a fine line between encouragement and pressure, but there is a line.

Do not let the pandemic have compromised the respect people should afford one another.

Week’s parting observation (a fill-in for the week’s positive parting thought feature I have tried to bring back, but not been able to muster consistently, just yet) : Ever notice tick has an “ick” in it? How appropriate.