Hands

Inspirational song: Lay Your Hands on Me (Thompson Twins)

Anybody else injure themselves by being nearly entirely still over the last few days? Yeah, I did. My hands hurt like hell from spending too much time holding my iPad playing games and being even more obsessive over Twitter. I feel shame admitting it. I totally did it to myself.

I wonder whether attitudes towards public gatherings and public displays of affection will alter in the long run. I was already uncomfortable touching acquaintances and strangers, hating handshakes and never having a good instinct for when hugs are appropriate. But now I look at anything filmed more than two weeks ago, and I’m already freaked out how close people stand, and how often they touch each other. Will social distancing change us culturally, to the point where we automatically offer each other six feet of personal space? Or will the need for human contact override a temporary fear of disease transmission? I will be watching to see where it all goes.

Buried among all the professional musicians putting on cell camera concerts this weekend, with no makeup and wearing sweatpants in their living rooms, was Neil Diamond. Thank goodness he said his own name, because I sure didn’t recognize him in casual clothes and a ball cap. I didn’t, that is, until he started singing Sweet Caroline—with a twist. “Hands...washing hands...Reaching out...Don’t touch me!”