Time + Isolation

"Time Passes On" is a song by the band Orleans. I wish I had more to say about them, but the truth is I know little, just the song. My days of learning about artists and dedicating the time to learn about them and their inspiration is long gone. Now it's just sound and lyrics, and how they make me feel.

During this pandemic, isolation has been mostly a necessity, a force. I've always been isolated, I prefer the time I can spend by myself with my thoughts. I'm not what you would called the extrovert - I don't put myself out to people in a way that would draw them too me.

However, there's something different about being 'forced' to stay inside. Something that makes my mind run in circles on a daily basis. It's like time is passing at a faster rate - I feel like I am missing out on a lot, when there isn't anything to miss.

Meanwhile, there are people out there who have taken up new hobbies, walked around their neighborhood a hundred times, tried anything and everything to fight the boredom that comes from sitting inside all day.

I wish I could look at the clock without feeling any dread. If wish the Fall would come faster, it's only July and this summer has felt like it has gone on for 20 years. Who even knows if Fall will bring back some normalcy. I am starting to wonder what the 'real' normal will be.

Loneliness is defined as "sadness because one has no friends or company."

I am typically okay with being lonely, finding ways to amuse myself. I was never the type that ALWAYS had to be doing something, somewhere, with someone. I know plenty of people who are like that who must be screaming on the inside right now, as well as out. How do you pass the time when all you know how to do is pass time? I can't even imagine, though sometimes I really do try.

We all get lonely, but this time it is different – in a way I find hard to describe. People are terrified of something that they cannot see. It’s like a horror movie. After the events that have taken place, I would not be surprised if the next thing was a zombie outbreak.

I feel like at any moment time will come to a complete stop. However, this isn’t necessarily frightening. I would describe it as a similar feeling to finding out your goldfish died.

I haven't watched the news in a few weeks. It's all the same, the same reel, the same numbers. Just when we think we are safe, good, back to normal - everything changes. There's more danger than any of us realize, and in some ways that is terrifying.

There's post on social media about "new normal" and what it means for everyone. Students not being able to stay on campus, people not being able to go into their office, everybody has to stay away from each other. I can't imagine what all of this is doing to extroverts - can't imagine the craziness that must be going through their head right now.

Humans are typically social creatures, who run a society based on socializing with other people in person. How are we going to function if that is something we can rarely do anymore? There's just so many answers, and so many questions that we haven't been able to answer yet. The biggest question of all is "how are we going to get back to normal?"

It bothers me just to think about it.