As a Fish Camp counselor this past year, one popular question my fellow counselors and I asked one another was what our deep and shallow fears were. Shallow fear responses ranged from light-hearted spider phobias, needles and uncomfortable spacing between holes. But what really got me thinking was what my deepest fear actually was. I confess that the first thing which came to mind was being alone. Not the kind of no-one is-home alone or the party-where-you-donât-know-a-single-soul alone, but the suffocating toll of mental and emotional loneliness.Â
This past year in quarantine has brought enough ominous amounts of loneliness to last a lifetime. One moment people were enjoying their spring break trips, and the next ... well, weâre all very familiar with that.Â