The pandemic lifestyle started for me in 2015 due to dangerous viral pathology spreading in my network. Contagion could easily spread outside that network if not vigilant, especially regarding employment. It was intentionally imposed in my case, but in no way related to biology.

To talk loosely, “network science” is the name for the newish discipline that relates all communication as to how signals spread through networks like pathogens. Communication is viral in nature and can’t be divorced from the network it’s embedded in. It’s kind of shocking how much can be modeled this way if you look at it expansively.

2015-2016 was mostly shelter in place under duress and force with a compromised network. The virus anchoring itself, me building my resistance to it, and figuring out how to deal with later outbreaks. The virus wanted money and an illicit narrative in this case and I was patient zero.

I learned you can’t just scream down a virus at the height of its contagion, unfortunately. You have to get to work.

The SARS-CoV-19 pandemic was not the same for me: during it, other people now joined me in that previous social fate, but I had a ton of experience and prep work already down. I tried to help where I could by pushing back against the hate and judgement coming from everywhere as they panicked. While also following the rules, and not freaking out for being asked to be considerate or to not spread alarmist lies. (It’s not hard.)

But most people were in the “point fingers in the moment and panic because of rapid change” phase, a dysfunctional kind of reaction I had to get over in 2011. I went into my 2015 pandemic lifestyle already schooled in how that works:

You don’t point fingers while you’re forced to climb a ladder or you fall off, because you’re not holding the rungs.

These kind of isolating circumstances are functions of group behavior, and sometimes necessary for health and security. It truly can be alienating. Welcome to the Matured Global Interconnected Communications Network, but it’s not as bad as they’d have you believe. Just incredibly challenging, brutal, & constructed on socioeconomically-motivated misinformation. And often, general anticompetitiveness, not just of the monopolistic kind.

I’m not thrilled about any of these isolating pandemics, including my former personal one, but am mature enough to be grateful for anything that builds endurance in a draining environment. ▪️