While everyone seems to be posting memes and jokes about being in isolation, I’m finding them very hard to relate to as an introvert. Because of lock-downs in many countries, to practice social distancing during the Coronavirus pandemic, people are coming online to commiserate and share their stories. Well, I am having none of it.
First of all, I have to acknowledge that I am privileged enough to have my life unaffected by the whirlwind of changes happening internationally. I am able to work from home, and don’t have to worry about friends or family members who are sick or in high-risk environments. Fortunately, I am not surrounded by children who need my constant attention and I can also have food and goods delivered right to my doorstep whenever I want. I understand that the reason I don’t feel that my life has turned upside down is because, luckily, it hasn’t.
The Good
Living in self-imposed isolation feels like a normal weekend on loop. I just have to answer a few emails in the morning pertaining to work and I’m good. I have no future plans that need to be canceled. And I don’t miss hanging out with friends because I didn’t hang out with them anyways. My introvert heart sang when the few scheduled events were canceled. I now don’t have to fumble around for excuses to bow out of gatherings. And the amount of content that has been made available to consume online is staggering. I don’t even have to wait a week for my favorite channels to upload videos as they’re pushing out content daily!
The Bad
However, we know it’s not all sipping piña coladas and flipping through magazines in isolation. It’s hard to stay positive and stay at home when you don’t want to be. Even with all the lists of recommended activities posted online, it is frustrating to be cornered in such a situation. There are many times when I am stuck at work on weekends, and I sulk around because I have to miss a long anticipated dinner party. And more often, I am forced to attend a distant relative’s friend’s wedding where I can only resort to hiding out in the bathroom to avoid socializing.
I do admit that I may be subscribed to a somewhat hermetic lifestyle by choice. However, most times it’s because of work responsibilities, social anxiety and long distance friendships. Even if have wanted to, I am unable to go out for leisure, weeks at a time. So now when entire countries are shut-down, my bitterness is aimed at people complaining about being stuck indoors. Do they not realize that this has been a normal circumstance for certain people? Did they not see that some of us were living in self-isolation long before it was mandated by the government?
The Ugly Cry
But as the lock down wore on, I realized that while staying cooped up at home was normal to me, it wasn’t for others. The introvert in me might find comfort in a canceled birthday party but the birthday boy definitely won’t. Just because I can’t empathize with their struggle does not mean I can’t sympathize either. I did not appreciate being forced to attend an event I didn’t want to go to. And I never liked being called into work when I wanted to hang out with a close friend. Instead I wanted a choice and a sympathetic ear.
So understandably, no one wants to be in a situation that makes them feel like they’re not in control. And that is the biggest thing this pandemic has shown us. We are not in control and it is scary. People we rely on for comfort and sympathy are locked away in their own homes unable to reach us.
Therefore, when people saturate the social media with memes and TikToks of isolation insanity, it is because they’re finding new ways to connect and reach out. If I look hard enough, I can find a few of them related to me- staying home in their comfort zone, gracious to be of the luckier ones, and praying it all comes to an end soon.
