Sunday, April 05, 2020

COVIDiary: The Silent

We are fortunate to live in an age that offers us so many ways to connect. Texts. Emails. Video chats. Social Media. The good old telephone. And family, friends, colleagues, and our various affinity groups have been wonderful at reaching out to see if everyone's okay. Having folks respond that they're doing fine (and just looking for a drive-in liquor store). But more important is paying attention to who's not responding.

Maybe the person not responding really is fine, just not inclined to chime in with their current wellness situation. But maybe the person not responding isn't fine. Maybe they are really lonely or not feeling well enough to say how they're doing. Maybe they're in a state that they don't want to share with the world - financial crisis, lack of food or other necessities, too depressed to reach out.

Pay attention to the silent. Why aren't you hearing from them? Why aren't they responding to blanket requests of "How is everybody doing?"

I suggest a phone call. It's less intrusive than a video chat and more personal than email or text.

The Silent. Pay attention.

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