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THE REINTEGRATION by jay kana |
photos by shoeib abolhassani on unsplash
We’re about to enter year three of the pandemic and I optimistically yet carefully feel that we’ve rounded a bend that sees the balance of 2022 bathed in positivity. Many of us who chose to get vaccinated have done so at least twice, with third doses actively being administered. February has seen the return of indoor dining with capacity limits, along with other indoor activities being allowed. The coming weeks, if case counts diminish, will see the further reduction of restrictions and some sort of “new normal” will be upon us. I imagine many of us will welcome this change and embrace a world where we’re able to do many, if not all, of the activities we used to do. The sharp shift to a prolonged virtual world, the isolation, the diminished human interactions and immense screen time has been taxing on many of us, myself included. Some have made the adjustment with ease
28 MODERN MISSISSAUGA | WINTER 2022
and others have struggled. We’re on the cusp of being able to socialize freely again without capacity limits and on the whole, it’s terrific news. However, it won’t be as easy as returning to the “before time.” There’ll be various stages of relearning curves in socializing after two years of limitations. Whether it’s eye contact, personal space, awkward silences, hesitant handshakes or the nervousness of being in public again, not everyone will be able to make a seamless and prompt adjustment. In fact, some of us may simply not want to delve straight into a world without restrictions, at least not right away. If you take anything away from this article, let it be that everyone is wired differently and their reintegration choices should be respected. I can only speak for myself when I say that up until two years ago, I happily balanced between enjoying being with family, friends,
bandmates, colleagues, clients, etc., and staying home, going for solo drives and needing alone time. If there’s a label to be had, it’d be an extroverted introvert. With changes only a few weeks away, I often think about where I fit in and how my behaviour will adjust. Yes, I’m relieved that we will (hopefully) soon be able to socialize sans restrictions but I’m not sure everyone wants to, or even remembers how to. Living alone through nearly the entire pandemic has taught me to be succinctly self-sufficient and overtly independent. I used to need to be around people and after two years, that need has been changed to a want. Whether that's healthy and “normal” has yet to be seen in my case. I dismissed the term “reintegration anxiety” the first handful of times I read it but now that it’s upon us, it deserves some attention.