Watching TV tonight I couldn’t help but notice that every commercial contained some reminder of how life used to be. Remember when we used to give each other high fives? Remember when there used to be sports on TV every night? Remember when we used to eat out and go to shows?
Everything is different now and I have found myself wanting to pick up the phone and tell someone who doesn’t know. Except, everyone knows. Maybe for the first time in a long time I’m not as aware of my loneliness. Everyone is in this. Everyone.
Everyone is in this. Everyone.
The truth is, while we are being asked to move away from each other, in many ways, I have never felt more connected. My schedule, my plans, my money, and my time, have all been rearranged and re-prioritized. With the world seemingly coming to a halt, I have called my mom. I have texted friends in other states. I have even used technology to connect me to people that I normally would not have missed.
The world as I knew it has been…quarantined. What a scary word! What does that mean? It’s like we’re set apart, but with fear and shame. While solitude would be welcomed, quarantined feels like punishment. I guess it depends on how you look at it. How are you looking at it?
While this is a scary reality we are all facing right now, I believe there is more than this. There is more than toilet paper scarcity, hand sanitizer, and elbow bumps. There is a chance to stop. There is a chance to reach out to your neighbor. There is an opportunity to actually have time, without having to go find time. Time to go for a walk. Time to call a friend. Time to be with yourself. What will you do with your time?