Physical Distancing is Necessary

For the past week I’ve been struggling with two words; Social Distancing. Yesterday I went for a walk, in a need to get out and clear my mind. It was a good feeling seeing other folks walking. The need to acknowledge another human was my drive. While some acknowledged and others didn’t I kept walking.

On my return home, two persons were coming towards me. When they saw me coming up the sidewalk, they made a 90 degree turn to my left and crossed the street. I felt like a virus. Worst than a virus. I came home still pondering those two words, Social Distancing. It is not a new concept, just more obvious with the threat of the COVID-19 virus.

We are battling two things, a virus we can’t see or know much about other than it is spreading quickly. We are also battling, a social virus where people distance themselves from each other out of fear. I wrote a piece recently to bring awareness on how 2 words gave me a reason to smile. Those 2 words and the story behind it helped me realize that what we need is this.

I believe to tackle the two, the conversation needs to change from Social Distancing to Physical Distancing. You see, we are social beings and we need each other. While we exercise care to physically distance ourselves at this time to help counter the spread of the COVID-19 virus, we need to take care to not socially distance ourselves from each other.

We hope you all are well and exercising safety at this time. The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting us all. This pandemic cannot be our demise. It is through hardships and challenges that as human beings we come together. Physically we may not be able to do so at this time, but by applying the tools we have we can.

We can get through this together by :

1. Social Connections by check-in with each other via phone or video calling
2. Physical Distance by exercising safe distance to help reduce the spread of the virus

As a Mental Health Advocate and one who knows the impact of isolation on an individual, I encourage all to be aware of other’s needs as much as we are of ours. Be safe, practice safety and stay in touch with each other, for we need each other to make a difference. #iamthankful

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O. Stephen is passionate about words and believes that words can Inspire Change, Connect People, Perspectives and their Stories to create new possibilities. A published author and founder for Released Expressions Publishing, he writes daily to experience the power of the written word. He fosters growth through listening and learning to shape perspectives and bridging ideas.

He believes every individual can attain their full potential by Starting with a Word. O. Stephen is leading a movement to inspire people to Release their own Expressions. It is this vision that drives him daily to see others realize their superpower and deliver at work, home and play every day.

An avid Toastmaster and a member of the Toronto Writer’s Collective (TWC), O. Stephen carries his badge as a Mental Health Advocate. These offer him the motivation to stay grounded and be committed to serving the community. He is a dad to two (2) amazing girls. He is driven each day to live a life of gratitude and that’s just how he seeks to end each chapter. #1T518