Just ask, and I’ll show you

Suzi announced that I may have a reason to pull my vaccination card out of my wallet.

Briefly, my mind wandered to unexpected travel or a shots-required concert that she had ordered tickets for but I didn’t even know about it yet.

It wasn’t either of those things. Instead, it was that The Bushnell in Hartford would be requiring attendees to be vaccinated for any shows through Oct. 31.

There’s also a mask mandate, which I’m not thrilled about, but I’ll deal with it.

My in-laws have had season tickets to The Bushnell for years, but since they don’t go very often anymore, Suzi and I go most of the time, always parking across the street at the state capitol building (it’s in the picture at the top of the post).

Touring productions come for about a week, and the shows I’ve seen include “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” (starring Jon Secada), “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Rent,” “The Book of Mormon” and “Come From Away.”

The shows are always good, but in particular, “The Book of Mormon” and “Come From Away” were amazing.

The only show on the schedule during the current vaccination mandate is “Escape to Margaritaville” (which I don’t think we’re going to see), but it wouldn’t surprise me if they extended it past the time “The Band’s Visit” rolls around in November, “What the Constitution Means to Me” next January or “Dear Evan Hansen” in March.

(In a not-exactly related note, “You Will Be Found” is on Jennifer Nettles’ “Always Like New“ album of Broadway songs, but I had never heard it and didn’t know it was from “Dear Evan Hansen,” but now I’m kind of obsessed with it.)

I got my second shot in May, and was fully vaccinated by the end of the month, just in time for my parents to come for my birthday.

The shots were supposed to be the gateway toward getting back to a “normal” life — being more comfortable with going to the gym, eating indoors, seeing a movie or going to a ballgame — and a card slightly too big for my wallet was going to be my golden cardboard ticket, my “passport” to show that yes, I was protected and you would be safe around me and it would be fine to let me come and go wherever.

Except it hasn’t quite worked out that way.

We’ve gone to plenty of places with signs on the door that vaccinated people didn’t have to wear masks and walked right in without any question. I guess we have to hope the other people without masks are being honest.

In fact, the only time I’ve pulled out my card was during my physical when the doctor asked when I had gotten my shots. I couldn’t remember the exact dates, so I needed to look them up.

But as far as I’m concerned, you can add a vaccination requirement to whatever you want, whether that means showing my card like a 21-year-old looking to buy my first legal drink or putting my information in whatever app you please.

All you have to do is ask.

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