Neighbors

I feel that Covid has irreperably damaged my relationship to other people. Everyone is a threat. Everyone is a carrier of something I can't see, but fear nonetheless. Everyone is a problem. I don't want to look at other people this way. I don't know how to escape this dichotomy either. It feels to me like the best, if not the only approach, is to begin to view one another as neighbors. I don't think this is a small task or even a possible one. We are too torn apart. Too ripped from our seams. Too divided into camps of belief. The social media platforms we use divide us even more. Our slavish obedience to screens divides us even more. Our constant nervous system disruption divides us even more. Everything wants our attention, and all of it makes us worse. It makes us more angry and stupid. More venemous to our friends and family. More selfish. Mor, yes, narcissistic. I can't help but feel that to view people around me as my neighbors is impossible. Not for just me but for everyone. How do you begin to talk to someone? We all walk around pre-packaged and programmed with our talking points ready to go. If someone says the wrong thing, we are prepared. We not what to say. We've been trained. So what to do? To try nonetheless. That seems like the answer. Let's try. Try with me.