Social Solitude --- Day 9/20

Walk: Presidio
Distance: 4 miles, small yoga

Ciwt is seasoned at spending time alone, but she hasn't realized until this prolonged shelter in place that she's actually a 'social loner.'

For example, on her walk today Ciwt encountered a pickleball acquaintance, and they decided to join up, 6' apart of course.  On other walks, she has had short chats with neighbors, former club members, just people she's seen over the years.

During non-shelter times, these unplanned get togethers with 'street people' are decidely more extensive and longer lasting.  She might meet someone and decide to have lunch together, or she might have an in depth catch up on the local park where she's a board member, or a long discussion with a docent friend when attending a museum art show at a museum - or even the same with herself as she watches a movie at a local theater.  All in all, she usually spends enough spontaneous and stimulating time with people, she is happy to shut her door and spend the rest of the day and evening letting it all sink in.  It is her form of regular people and it works for her.

Sheltering does not. Mostly now we are all paying more attention to the 6' separation from the masked person we need to avoid.  When we do stop to chat, it is short and rather fraught - like maybe we are doing something wrong to even be talking to each other.  The few planned walks with friends are completely unsatisfactory - not the least because what is there to talk about when we are all so understimulated and, perhaps, down?

One by one counties around here are easing their restrictions, and Ciwt looks forward to returning to some form of her 'social solitude.'