Big City vs. Small Town Part 2 of 5

Spring and summer came and went, and little changed in the city. Some restaurants learned to acclimate to the new normal and began utilizing the street when sidewalk space was limited to allow people to dine outside and keep their businesses afloat. Resuming some semblance of ‘the old days’ helped a bit but did little to assuage the feeling of disconnect that burdened society as a whole.

How long had it been since I had visited with friends, gone to a show, or even hugged someone? Depression was a feeling I knew well as a young adult, and that feeling crept back in like a black cat emerging from the shadows. I bought a bike. I bought another bike (in the hopes that I might find someone to ride with me). I rode that bike everywhere, from the empty Madison Ave to Staten Island, trying to find light in the darkness.

Towards the end of the summer, with fall and winter looming, some friends began to loosen their self-imposed safety regulations. I finally saw people face-to-face, from an acceptable social distance, picnicking in the park on a sunny day or meeting up for bike rides along the Hudson to Inwood and beyond. I forced myself to deepen my connection by reaching out to people by phone, something I have always abhorred (ADHD is not suited for lengthy conversations about anything in particular or, in this case, largely depressing news). But, those phone calls offered a different perspective on how people living in other parts of the country were surviving the pandemic.