Labor Day weekend was an interesting mix. Friday night I got together with a couple of girlfriends and had a lovely dinner outside at a restaurant in Marin. The weather was warm and the sky was clear. An added perk was great music from a band close by. Saturday I went to the Farmer’s Market and, for some reason, walked home feeling very lonely. That feeling of loneliness persisted and escalated through Sunday. Although I’ve lived alone for 11 years now, the forced, deeper isolation from shelter-in-place mandates has been really tough to deal with as a single person. I have internally resisted the extended promotion of social disconnect and lack of attention given to the value of social interaction as an immune booster. In fact, across the board, immune boosting just has not fit into the equation of any government official’s messages and plethora of mandates. Not much is mentioned of the value of sleep, meditation, exercise, good diet, connecting with others as much as possible in alternative, safe ways, etc., etc., etc.

Monday morning I hiked with a friend at Tennessee Valley. The moment I drove into the packed parking lot, I started to feel something shifting. Surprisingly, the trail we took to the ocean was not crowded; hikers were spread out over the multiple trail options. The fresh air, exercise, people frolicking on the beach and in the ocean, and engaging conversation felt like magic and welcome reprieve.

Tuesday I woke up feeling great. Something did shift with revelatory energies replacing feelings of loneliness from isolation.