Week 4: Isolation
As we approach and pass a month of social distancing, we each must address our place in the spectrum of introversion to extroversion. There may be some who seem to be thriving, however, weeks of isolation will challenge even the most introverted among us. Some may be distancing with those they live with, but every person is certainly away from people they love. We are together only in our loneliness, as we are required to both fight it and embrace it.
Curated by Pam Marlene Taylor and Kaylan Buteyn.
Click photos below to see more detail.
Who is the first person you want to hug? How is social distancing shaping your opinions of your neighbors or coworkers?
Kelsey Hamilton Davis: The first person I want to hug is my friend from childhood, who is a nurse. I feel that this time has made me more acutely aware of how individual action effect the collective well being. I feel more responsibility for the health of my neighbors and fear that my own health is dependent on the same decisions made by them. It is an exercise in trust and careful consideration.
Mya Cluff: The first person I want to hug when this is over is my husband, right after he gets home from work, without requiring him to wash his hands before interacting with any of us. Then shortly after that I'll go to the store and hug our grocery clerks. Then I'll go door to door and hug all of our neighbors. We live in a small community, in a small town, with young families up and down our street. Even though the nice weather is wonderful, one of the (many) hard things about all this is that this is the time of year our Montana community generally "thaws out", meaning that for the first time in months we see our next door neighbors for more than a few seconds scurrying out to a cold car, or into their warm house. Having to wave from a distance, and tell the kids "no sorry, we can't have play dates yet, even though your friend is outside waving from their trampoline," is heartbreaking. I'm really ready to be done carrying this extra anxiety (and moms already carry a lot) of being a kill-joy to do our part to keep my family and our friends safe. As much as I already loved our neighborhood, this has really made me reevaluate how fortunate we are to like who we live near.
Magdalena Dukiewicz: I am not really a hugger but after a couple months in isolation I might be hugging random people on the street. But speaking seriously, my parents and sister in Poland. Because of the travel ban it might take a while until we can see each other again. I think it’s too early to say, but sitting in my room in a rented apartment, willingly or not, I am listening to my neighbors talking right on the other side of the wall. I was thinking, how those separating walls are a fake concept of privacy and ownership; where my space ends, where yours begins and how false and fragile this concept is. We need to realize that the concept of a safe home is impermanent and connected to certain privileged groups.
Josepha Edbauer: Honestly, everybody! I keep dreaming about gathering with all of my friends and body contact, but as soon as this ends and the borders in Europe open again I am going to rush to my mama's place and give her the biggest hug in the world. The last thing the world needed was more egoism. It makes me sad seeing some people lacking of solidarity, but you never know their story... On the other hand it is amazing to see how people have to practice mindfulness, since staying in the moment is the only option. It makes me and others so aware of the small beautiful moments and conversations happening.
Kristin Skees: My son's preschool teacher. She is the glue that holds our world together, and she gives both my kids so much love and happiness. We all miss hugging her. It's been nice to see how everyone has been checking in on each other. We are having to deal with new problems and uncertainty, but it truly feels like we are all in it together.
Alice Stone Collins: I don’t think there is one person. I miss just the everyday interactions. I picked groceries up from my sister-in-laws house the other day after having a delivery dropped off there and standing on opposite ends of the yard made me so sad. Made me wish she would have just stayed inside. While it was good to see her, it felt so odd and awkward that I just wanted to leave. Get back in the car and retreat back home. This bleeds into life in my neighborhood too. It’s almost as if the careful nature of our interactions make me not even want to attempt contact no matter how socially distant. I still run in the neighborhood, but it is so early or late that no one else is out. I wonder if it gets easier. I wonder if I don’t want it to get easier, so that is why I retreat so much. I wonder how long it will last.
Arianna Lucas: The first person I'd like to hug is my best friend, Jess. She's been working incredibly hard at her job serving the public and I can't wait to give her a big o'l hug once it is safe to do so. I think I've started to hold a deeper sense of compassion for those around me. This pandemic has just reminded me that we are all humans trying to do our best during this time.
Ashley Buchanan: I would like to hug my little sister Mia (an essential worker) first. She keeps me smiling throughout this pandemic. Social distancing, I’ve noticed, has made me (and I feel everyone) more conscious of others' health and basic needs. Everyone is trying to protect each other. Everyone misses those little connections and displays of love. I think everyone needs that connection.