Social Distancing or Physical Distancing?

The expression social distancing is making me crazy. As far as I am concerned, it’s not social distancing – it’s physical distancing.

My friend and fellow direct marketing commentator, Bruce Turkel, wrote a great blog about this last week.  I wanted to weigh in on this for my followers.

For those of you who don’t know me well, I am a very social creature. I work out daily in the gym at the JCC because I like to see my friends. Our office is very small, but I am surrounded by other humans and canines (the famous Dataman Group Data Dogs). Ed & I typically go out to eat every night (we all know I don’t cook). We also go to a zillion concerts, movies or sporting events.  We are also blessed with local grandchildren. We are spoiled by weekly snuggles and hugs.  These activities are both social and physical.

All of these things are off limits today. We need to keep our physical distance from others. But that should not and will not eliminate my need to be social.

Even though I can stay physically apart, today’s technology allows me to stay connected in a social framework.

I am taking on-line group exercise classes.  While I miss my friends during the workout, we can call / text after. I am working (can’t you tell?) and staying in touch with clients and colleagues via email and Zoom. We are bringing in our dinners daily.  We’re taking long drives. Ed and I are catching up on a lot of TV (any good recommendations?). The hardest is not seeing the grandkids.

Get Creative

We all need to get creative to stay sane. And stay social.

I am creating things to do with my grandkids on Facetime.  I am catching up with people on the phone. I am even going back into Facebook to see what everyone is up to.

Yesterday, my friend Emily invited me to have coffee with her in the parking lot of Starbucks. The idea was everyone sitting in their own car and talking to each other out the window.  Hey, whatever works.

Physically, we may be 6 feet apart. But socially in many ways, we are closer than ever before. That’s because we have a common cause. Today, we stand united. And more socially connected than ever before.