Living in Times of Social Distancing

In strange times like these, we continue to shelter in place in San Francisco to wait out the unknown. I feel there is not much to do, but to continue living on and make each day count. I find myself continuing to create, in somewhat of a mindless state, letting my unconsciousness express itself through the mediums at hand, whether through paint, clay, dough, or written words. I’ve set my imagination free, immersed in books while bundled in blankets with a cup of tea or dark hot chocolate.

While we continue to socially distance in the physical sense, I feel we’ve actually become closer with friends and family. We’ve had more video chats, text messages, and Zoom dinner events. We’ve learned to bake sourdough through remote videos across a 24-hour period and relished the hilarious pitfalls and successes together. We’ve hung out with friends who live further away. I’ve met and made new friends that I otherwise wouldn’t have encountered. I even met a neighbor down a block who was kind enough to find me through LinkedIn to pass on a package that was incorrectly delivered to her. So if there’s anything positive about this COVID situation, it’s that we’ve all become a little closer.

I hope when this is over, we remember these times, remember to be a little kinder to each other, to empathize with one another, and remember our humanity.

- Vivian