Silence in the once busy streets, craving the chaos of highway traffic that once infected our morning commutes.
Emptiness in the once crowded stores, craving the comfort and ambience of two strangers’ conversation an aisle over as you scan the shelves for any items you should waste your precious money on.
Loneliness in our homes, desperate for distraction from our thoughts and emotions, for freedom to debate with our best friends over a noisy radio about which restaurant or bar to go, sitting side by side in a crowded vehicle.
Fear and confusion in our hearts as we read stories about the fate of others just like us around the nation, as we listen to serious voices of news anchors on the bright tv screen and procrastinate our online assignments that were once group projects to be finished in a classroom across town.
Just weeks ago, the world was booming. Laughter among groups sitting together outside at a table under the sunlight during a lunch break. Weaving your body through the crowded rooms full of tipsy people celebrating the new year as your best friend clings to your hand to keep up. Complaints among friends about test material as we huddled around each other in sterile study rooms, silent but at least together.
What was once denial, inviting our friends over for wine night celebrations and board game tournaments in our cozy homes, has turned into acceptance, as we are now confined to the life behind our phone screens, another facetime or phone call fills our hearts with warm familiar faces and voices that offer us a sense of normalcy.
