There’s this virus going around Asia right now, so it must be an excellent time to buy tickets to go there as prices are low – those were my thoughts in early 2020. The flights I bought were canceled.
Everybody has their “where were you” moments from the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and many are still traumatized by the illnesses of loved ones or by the garden variety of lockdowns and their consequences. They say that every crisis is also an opportunity – for things to get worse or get better. I’ll focus on the positive side, exchanging messages and asking our loved ones if they are alright, have enough supplies at home, and how they are coping.
We touched base big time, or did we? I remember many reaching out and being reached out more than usual, but I know that some people felt lonely, and not only those living on their own.
After the dust settled from reorganizing life around lockdowns and the initial rush of messages, there was one thought that came to my head and stayed there. I wish I had Touch Base now.
An urge to return to the familiar, not stay in touch with family
The covid waves that followed the big one beginning in March 2020 were more traumatic for some, and triggered harsher lockdowns for others. However, they did not bring us together like the initial one, especially the first few weeks. Moreover, when life was on a bumpy course to normality, we all insisted on getting back to 2019 rather than learning any lesson. It is human – having a routine means a semblance of certainty we all needed after long months and, eventually, a couple of years of uncertainty.
Certainty and familiarity consisted of a return to the rat race, and also to being triggered by social media. Short entertainment snacks never left us, but as our free time returned to normal – less than during the lockdowns – spending time on social media occupied a larger proportion of that free time.
I felt that I lost touch with some people in wider circles, but more importantly, that I wasn’t holding onto those closer to me. In challenging times, we rise up and reach out. But in regular times, holding onto the habit of reaching out is challenging.
That’s what we’re aiming to change. We bought tickets to this journey called Touch Base and we’ll make sure it takes off. Stay tuned.