All the Lonelier for it

So one of the things that I anticipated as a problem when this year of nobuy began was that I would be lonely. Locked in my little enclave of homemade food and slowly greying clothing, it seemed there might not be a place for my friends in this barren landscape. This has proved somewhat true. I am not available in a commercial setting any more. Movies, drinks, dinners on the town, all out. If my friends want to see me, I am asking them to bend to my crazy whims and bake bread with me or go for a walk. This may be asking a lot. We are not accustomed to nobuy friendships. This will probably mean that I will not see my friends as much. But I will very likely see new people, in novel situations. And while I do not want to suggest that this is by any means an even trade, there is something valuable in reinvesting in and re-exploring my community. Sure, I attend our neighborhood association meetings now. They are free entertainment. I look for free films showing at the art museum. I'm going to the Unitarian church book group. While these low-budget, low thrill options are not how I want to spend all of my time, they are introducing me to people that I would have never met otherwise. And breaking out of my enclave into the bizarreness of Baltimore has been one of the most unanticipated delights of the nobuy.