Loneliness within Quarantine

Ever since this quarantine came into effect it feels like we've been stuck in a dystopian nightmare that is stuck on replay, and if you have ever read The Giver, you know that when things get worse they continue to get worse before they inevitably get better. It kind of feels like we are in the beginning of the end with limited to no knowledge of when we will see "better".

Being in any situation where you are told you are not able or if we're being realistic, allowed to see the people you love the most is hard for anyone. I recently read a story about a family whose mother had approximately 3-4 days to live, and they were being told they were unable to see her due to potential of passing along COVID-19. I know mostly none of us have that need or sense of urgency to see our family, friends, or situationships, but the fact that we are being told to err on the side of caution makes it that much harder. The want and emotional need to see them feels like imperative.

With a projected timeline of 2-8 weeks before any lift of Coronavirus quarantine, I know most of might feel a tinge of cabin fever or maybe this is our time of self-reflection and introspection. We can allow this time to inspire or dissuade us. I, myself, have allowed myself a few days to just slow everything the hell down. In this time I have been able to just focus on what I feel passionate towards, however I know this is not the simplest task at hand. Where some thrive, others may question every thought that crosses their mind. Weird how in situations where you are alloted the proper time to address any, and everything has that kind of power over you?

I think we feel a sense of fomo from the people who are actually "co-isolating". Not sure if that's a thing but the people who are quarantining with their significant others or people that they won't get sick of in the unforeseeable timeline of this virus. They can make stupid Tik Toks with, someone to watch movies with, or just someone they can go on walks with. The basic human affection that most of us feel we need throughout the day to not go completely batshit insane.

I am, however, in true Brando fashion here to bring you good news...ALL of these are manageable with this beautiful invention that we carry with us at all times, technology! Those handy little devices we carry around with us daily allow us the capability to call and facetime with anyone we desire, at the drop of a pin. Chrome just added an extension to it's browser that allows you to Netflix, simultaneously so you are able to watch movies with a group of people. It's like people thought ahead for those specific instances where you physically could not be together, but had the desire to be.

*In conclusion, I think everyone needs to get over themselves and stop complaining about being lonely!*

I would just like to say that last sentence was a complete joke. I do think that the very real concern here is needing that basic human affection that we receive from friends, family, and significant others regularly. Receiving this via technology is obviously not comparable to face-to-face interaction, but for the time being it will need to be how we cope. The quicker we take this virus seriously, the quicker we can get back to (hopefully with less wear and tear on the planet) everyday life.