Alone and unhealthy

The pandemic of being alone.

How seriously we are all craving social contact. As I do my daily walks around town these mornings, I’ll wave or say “Good morning” to anybody and everybody. That’s why, when a friend I hadn’t seen in months pulled up in his car, I jumped at the chance to talk – he in his car, I two metres away. We talked about work, or lack of it. Then, I asked how his family was doing, in particular his university-age daughter.

“Well, to be honest, not great,” he said, “COVID.”

“Really?” I said, thinking that she’s awfully young to be infected.

“No, not that. The isolation at university, never leaving residence.”

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Getting involved

Columbine High School shooting survivor, Craig Scott, talks about the cultural issue facing his generation of 20-somethngs. Photo Reading Eagle.

The other night after my teammates and I finished our hockey game up at the arena, several of us changed and gathered at the bar for a Christmas drink. It’s that once-a-year moment when most of us, who have little to do with each other except share Sunday night adult recreational hockey, sit down in the lead up to Dec. 25. We hadn’t been sitting more than a few minutes when the talk shifted to the topic that’s been on everybody’s mind all week.

“Unbelievable, eh, that shooting in Connecticut,” one of the guys said.

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