Recently Neil Oliver spoke powerfully about the isolation that many people are under right now, and the resulting loneliness.
Of all the ways the enforced separation the bar on being together with our fellow human beings has done most harm. Too many people have been isolated.
At home I have a basket filled with letters - and more come every day - from people who have had no one to talk to, to share thoughts with. I'm glad they've written to me, but it breaks my heart to know so many have found it best to send a letter to a face on the telly.
He suggested finding at least one other person you can talk to, face to face:
I say it's up to us, now, to come together in every way we can, and remind ourselves - and each other - that there is no need to feel powerless and helpless. Each of us must find at least one other of like mind. To begin with that one other might be enough. The important thing is to meet and to share face to face.
That's a good suggestion. Whilst you're at it, it's worth thinking about listening. It's not something that our times encourage, but everyone likes being listened to, and it improves every relationship you have. There is so much to take in at the moment - it can be overwhelming, and it's easy to feel helpless when you can't influence what's going on. Listening and being listened to can help you stay on top of events, or even just cope better. Being there with someone else in difficult times can be a powerful shared experience - ask a doctor or a nurse.
Admittedly, listening doesn't come easily to everyone. But it is a skill that can be learned, and it gets easier with practice. Good listening is well understood by organisations like the Samaritans and the NHS - there is an booklet called Brief Encounters. Some schools have peer listening projects to help their young people, and it might be worth setting up more.
If you really cannot find anyone to talk to, writing things down can take the edge of things - putting things in writing does seem to make things real and clear the mind. It's not a creative writing contest: just do as much as you need. If it's difficult to start, try writing a letter to someone you care about - you don't have to send it!
Perhaps surprisingly, writing by hand has a lot to recommend it. It is slower than typing and you have more time to consider what you have to say. Also, when everything is being done to deplete your resources and undermine your confidence, it can also help you feel more yourself. Seeing your handwriting is a reminder of your unique existence - your handwriting is yours alone, no matter how untidy it is. Your words on paper have a concrete existence that words on a screen don't, and they cannot be monitored like everything on your phone.
If you are really keen, keep a journal to record the things that made the most impression on you - a bit like the Mass Observation project of previous decades. These days will whizz by - so much is happening at the moment that it can all be a blur. When all this is over, however untidy your journal, it will remind you of this extraordinary time of our lives.
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Listening
https://www.brief-encounters.org/get-the-kit/
https://www.peersupport.phpc.cam.ac.uk/listening/
Mass Observation
http://www.massobs.org.uk/