Now that I’m fully vaccinated against COVID-19, I’ve started socializing again. While from the outside I’m sure these interactions seem pleasant enough, my mind is often seething with questions and anxieties:

• Oh my God, who is this? I feel like I know her, but I can’t remember her name.
• Should we hug? Did we hug before the pandemic?
• How do you hug people, anyway? Should I pat their backs?
• Oh, this feels nice. Am I holding them too long? Not long enough?
• There’s an awkward silence.