OPEN MIC

MORE OFTEN THAN USUAL?

Not that much I could and can still not visit my mom because I don’t have a car and you should stay of public transport if you can. I can visit my dad without a problem. - Kimmie

I was less connected with family and friends, because I was shielding /isolating as a result of the UK’s shielding policy for extremely vulnerable people. - Liam Pearse

I have a friend that lives 200 miles away, we would always meet in London a couple times a year and knowing that we couldn’t do that we started checking in with each other more and we now go on Zoom twice a week to do online quizzes and chat, so I’m feeling a lot more connected to them at the moment (which is good as I feel a lot less connected to everyone in my everyday pre-lockdown life). - Anonymous

I definitely have had to use things like social media more often than I used to, as well as texting and face timing my friends to try to stay in touch. I have also been seeing them in-person (following distancing/mask guidelines), though we have found different ways to hang out or games to play that we can do while 6-feet apart. - Ronnie

I use more of social media than before. That way I feel more sociable without physically being around people. - KathyHoh

Since I live alone, I’ve been reaching out more often than usual, to a lot more people. I’ve had conversations with friends that I haven’t seen in years, just to check up on each other and see how we’re all doing. The silver lining of this time has definitely been being able to reconnect with others. It hasn’t been easy, and I force myself to do it most days since I know it’ll be worse if I don’t, but it has been nice to chat with old friends again. - Christa

I haven’t really changed an awful lot. I’m in contact with my friends online more often, but that’s because we don’t see each other at school anymore.

Elliott

I am making more effort to text and call my family because we live in different time zones and that has always been the excuse to not keep up with each other’s lives. - Sunnyside

Watched more movies with my dad and got to talk more about lots of things with him - Anthony

I spent more time with my family a little. I held my Mum’s hands and hugged her more. I started living with my Mum after the shutdown started, not seeing my Dad at all when I use to see him week on week off. It freaked me out, because he lived closer to the city, and he falls asleep at the drop of the hat but is hard to wake up, so he might miss something important, but I was freaking out and he couldn’t help me with that when he was sleeping all day. I went on a few more walks with my Mum, spent most of the day following her around when I wasn’t schooling. It’s something I miss, now I think of it. I miss the closeness that lessened as the lock down did. - B’Elanna

My family and I are now annoyed with each other because we are all introverts and have to constantly be around each other, so I think we’re trying to do the opposite lol. The discord server that my friends and I have has seen way more usage though, and we’ve used Zoom occasionally (which we never did before). - Anonymous

DO YOU THINK YOU WILL HAVE TO CHANGE HOW YOU CELEBRATE AUTUMN AND WINTER HOLIDAYS? IF SO, HOW WOULD IT BE DIFFERENT?

I cannot plan any trip for this year’s holidays for sure. Nobody from outside the Country can plan a visit either. Last year my sister visited from Europe. But now visitors are not allowed in

the Country for unprecedented amount of time. - KathyHoh

I was going to do a summer holiday to USA but instead will hopefully be visiting family. I have no idea about winter, I guess if we end up in another lockdown where we are encouraged not to travel then hopefully my local extended family will reach out but since they haven’t so far I don’t know... - Anonymous

I probably will have to depending on what the situation looks like. What is likely to happen is I’ll head home and celebrate with my immediate family instead of a big gathering. My family is large, and we try to get together whenever possible, so it will be a change. But we’ve already done multiple family Zoom calls, so I’m sure that I’ll be able to see them all regardless. - Christa

My eighteenth birthday is coming up. It’s a big birthday, in winter. My family usually meets up for big birthdays at a restaurant or something. Not this year. I think we’re back to ten people to a space here, so no big parties. It stops me from connecting with my relatives who live closer towards the city, hours away from where I live with my Mum. I might still be able to get together with my friends, if it doesn’t get worse. I’ve treasured them a bit more since we went back to school, so that would be different. I usually don’t have big parties anyway, but now I feel like my time with them should have more value. You never know what will happen tomorrow. That’s probably the hardest part to this pandemic, after all. - B’Elanna

No. My family is fairly splintered. We don’t talk to my brother (for the best all around - he was acephobic) and so it’s just me, Mum and Dad. I live with them anyway (despite being 24, I have no interest in leaving the family bubble), so holidays have always been just us. We spend them at home, so lockdown or no lockdown, we will be fine. - Anonymous

Probably, but I don’t know how. I think it’s going to be tricky because my family is pretty conservative and a bit skeptical of

the lockdown, so I’m guessing that they will be wanting to be closer to normal than I would prefer. So, figuring out how to navigate that, both keeping them healthy and not avoiding their company, might be tricky. Also it’s the first holiday season I’ll have after getting married, so figuring out how to balance family and in-laws will be new as well. - Anonymous

I think so. Covid already changed the way I celebrated Passover, as we had to get creative and do a Seder over Zoom. High Holiday services in the fall will likely be entirely live-streamed, so that will be a change. - Kat

My college hasn’t been super clear with the current plans for spring semester, so I don’t know if I’m going to have to selfisolate at the end of my winter break. Also, there’s likely not going to be any church attendance for Christmas (but that’s been on and off the past few years anyway). - Anonymous

I would think so, Halloween is probably going to be canceled, or at least as a family group. Thanksgiving and Christmas might still happen, my extended family is big on coming together for holidays. - Luna Evers

OPEN MIC

IN MY HEAD BY RENE’ ROSE

Chains are around my lips, What even are relationships?

The beginning is fine, but over time, I just seem to be walking the line.

I love and hate, it’s all the same, So why am I to blame? Why do I feel shame?

I close my doors and block them out, what’s all that about? Why am I filled with doubt?

I am who I am and I love who I am That’s why I’m in a therapy program

The issue set forth, is about my inner discourse

Sexual attraction is weird, that’s why it’s kinda feared

I just want someone to hold, someone so I won’t be alone

I don’t want sex, I think it’s all mess,

Maybe I’m thinking too much, but then why do I get worried about touch?

I’m done, I’m done, there’s so much sound, my head is starting to pound, it’s all too loud.

Thank you for reading, I hope I haven’t been misleading.

I love who I’ve become I just kinda get in a slum.

LOCKDOWN MEETS BY EUTIERRIA

Meetups moved online they did, When a pandemic hit us global, Thinking up things to try, With the aces who are local.

One whole year we went out, Usually on a monthly basis, Changed to weekly meets online, Where we saw our 2D faces.

A chat and a smile, A “Today, how are you?”, An unsaid commitment, To pull each other through.

At first, two pilots, To run all our checks, Camera, mics and, All peripheral tech.

Skribbl.io we played, Attempting to draw, Because meeting in groups, Would’ve been against the law.