I love being alone in public. I’ll take walks, do work at a coffee shop, sometimes go to a show or movie. Partly I just love being alone. But I also love people (in measured doses). It’s nice to chat with a server or stranger and then go our separate ways, free from expectation. On a good day, I can vibe off people, most of whom are pretty chill.
On the flip side, there are times when I feel alone in the world in a bad way. A friend and I were recently talking about how the pandemic compelled us to work more on our mental health and spiritual practices. We’re just trying to feel grounded and centered in this crazy world. But many people aren’t doing that. There seems to be a growing divide between those who feel responsible for regulating their own nervous system and those who are flailing externally for some sense of safety.
I know privilege factors into anyone’s ability to feel well, and it can be an uphill battle under the best circumstances. We all have days when we’re not at our best. But it saddens me where we’ve been led by those who benefit from our lack of wellness. It’s more profitable to have us scrambling for safety, alleviating our stress with shopping, alcohol, and pharmaceuticals. The economy performs “better” when you’re so scared about gun violence that you’re buying your own guns.
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