Isolation

     Once in ancient America - about 100 years ago - there was this thing called a "Party Line".  In remote or rural areas it made sense to have several homes connected to one telephone line.  Thus if you had to make a call, it was possible that others could listen in, sometimes even join in on your conversation.  Party lines were a way to connect to your neighbors and avoid isolation.  Party lines were eventually replaced as the miles and miles of utility wire were laid over time in rural areas.

    It sounds strange to today that we would allow ourselves a lack of privacy, but in 100 years the idea of a cell phone will probably sound very odd to the youth of that generation.  However it was a way to avoid isolation back then.  Much like our work chat and zoom calls are ways that we avoid isolation now until we finally officially go back to work. 

    It's not odd for my team to share pictures of our pets and talk about things other than work, even though the chat is designed to be "work related" only.  It's our way of connecting to others after a year or more of remote work..  

    I bring that up because I am suffering from isolation now.   

    For more than a year I've been working from home.   My job title  and responsibility's changed during that time, I moved to another state and because of the distance involved I will most likely only go back to the office two days out of the week; if at all.   There is chatter that my company will simply keep us all at home.   

    While I originally welcomed that idea, saving on gas and time, now I'm not so sure.   I am missing some things here in Western Pennsylvania.  I am missing that party line.   The comradeship.   I am missing other people.

    I still have friends here in PA, however in the last 10 - 15 years many of us have moved on, our lives changed and even though I long to reconnect with some of them, I understand if they don't have that desire.

    We are simply not the same people that we were in high school or college or from work.  I am slowly trying to connect with my neighbors however I find that I come from a completely different environment than most of my neighbors which is making it hard to connect.

    For example, not a 1/2 mile from me is a home where they are flying our National flag upside down.  It is a silent protest over the election results of 2020.   I get it, I don't agree with it and think it's silly...but I get it.

    As a dyed in the wool liberal Democrat, I also understand that I will probably not make friends with this person.  Because to quote Paul Krugman, the Nobel prize-winning economist and longtime New York Times columnist. “In 21st century America, everything is political.”   The fact that I'm even quoting an economist sets me apart.

     Frankly it's those life experiences that isolate us from each other, and can bring us together.   In my interactions, I am surprised how even generally well educated people can either hold an erroneous, or downright backward belief or theory as "truth."   No, I'm not trying to be political...but some things are simply true because their is evidence and data to support their claim.  It is not true without that support.  

    While I have met some interesting people, for example the local Barber is also the town's historian and we have spent several hours talking about the history of the area, the experiences we have had are very different.  He is also about 20 years older than me.

     

    My next door neighbor is a hell of a good dude, but he's also pure "Hillbilly"   That being said, he also represents the best of "Country Life".   In that he's always willing to lend a hand and expects nothing in return.  He's helped me out several times now.  Well we are friendly, I would not yet call him a friend.  Maybe somewhere in the near future.  

    I never had kids, and Susan's Daughter is 31.  Which means that it is even harder for us to find a couple to hang out with as they have jobs of their own, grand kids or kids that take up their time.

   My isolation continues.   At least in Tampa, I had a bar that I felt very comfortable in.  On any given night at Cigar City Cider and Mead the conversation could run from which Wilco album was the best (I still maintain it is Sky Blue Sky) to the history of Ybor City and how different mead's and ciders could be mixed to create something entirely new that may never see the light of day again - and often were..   

    While I am sure there may be a establishment near me where I would feel completely comfortable, I have yet to find it. The same could be said for restaurants.  While there are several good family owned establishments near us, none of them really stand out for taste or variety.  

    The same with movies.  The Guthrie Theater is a beautiful old building that showcases the Art Deco design of the period, but is more likely to show older movies than something that I've not seen before. 

    At the risk of sounding snobbish...I miss having better food, different experiences and different people of all sorts of colors, creeds, sexual orientation in my life.   Those experiences have not made me "better" than anyone else...just different.   My feelings of isolation come from that difference and frankly I don't know how to combat them.

      I sure I can't be only "city mouse in the boondocks."