"I Forgot How To People"
Nov. 10th, 2021 03:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
canyonwalkerWe had dinner with a friend last week. Once upon a time we used to see him at least once a week, either at a gathering of friends at a restaurant or at one another's house. Since the start of the pandemic 20 months ago we've seen him maybe three times. As the topic of conversation came around to gradually resuming normal (pre-pandemic) life he quipped, "I forgot how to people." Meaning, talking to people in person now is unfamiliar and taps skills and energies that have shrunken from disuse.
Have you forgotten "how to people"?
For myself I'd say the answer is No. I still "know how to people" even if I've been doing it a lot less for the past nearly 2 years. For me it's like learning how to ride a bike: once you learn you don't forget. But also like riding a bike, if you haven't done it in a while your balance maybe wobbly and you may tire quickly. Or maybe you've just lost interest in bicycling. That's how it feels for me. After so many months of having infrequent and brief f2f conversations I've become accustomed to not talking to people in person. I've stopped seeking it out. I'm actually fine being at home, by myself or with my spouse. I've got to rebuild the proverbial muscles— but more importantly, the desire— to meet people in person again.
Have you forgotten "how to people"?
For myself I'd say the answer is No. I still "know how to people" even if I've been doing it a lot less for the past nearly 2 years. For me it's like learning how to ride a bike: once you learn you don't forget. But also like riding a bike, if you haven't done it in a while your balance maybe wobbly and you may tire quickly. Or maybe you've just lost interest in bicycling. That's how it feels for me. After so many months of having infrequent and brief f2f conversations I've become accustomed to not talking to people in person. I've stopped seeking it out. I'm actually fine being at home, by myself or with my spouse. I've got to rebuild the proverbial muscles— but more importantly, the desire— to meet people in person again.
