7 Comments
Oct 30Liked by Mara Gordon, MD

You beautifully captured a feeling I didn't even know I had. This resonated so much for me. I'm largely an introvert and enjoy being alone, but I also cherish time with my different friend groups (college friends, high school friends, book club friends, neighborhood friends). It always felt like such a contradiction in my personality, but reading this I realize it's just so important mentally to have your people. This also made me reflect on how I love having different groups of people that bring me joy in different ways. I love when someone can write something so succinctly (and beautifully) that captures such a complex emotion.

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author

Thank you Kiersten. <3 So glad to be in community with you!!! xoxo

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Oct 30Liked by Mara Gordon, MD

I loved reading this. Thank you. Having spent half my childhood in a communist country, I feel like I'm forever searching for community. I so long for a commune, one that is committed and has some rules ;). I'm out and about in my small (chosen) home town in the South where I love to be involved, and I engage in civic activities and volunteering as much as I can. I feel very connected the town and my fellow citizens and I've made good friends. The suggestion to volunteer may feel hollow at times, but I think the key is to volunteer doing something that really matters to you (a strong connection to any cause can foster strong bonds). I'm a member of our town's affordable housing and equity board and while that work is challenging, it brings together people who may otherwise not have many opportunities to meet and it's made my life all the more meaningful. Like you, I cannot focus too much on politics without intense feelings of despair, so I stay involved locally and on a policy level. Grassroots work feels much more aligned with my communist/ socialist roots.

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author

I love this, thank you!!

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Oct 30·edited Oct 30Liked by Mara Gordon, MD

I love this so much! And I'm sorry, but I have a few family members coming to canvass this weekend....

Also, I'm sorry you missed out on the group zoom meeing during COVID! I had one wirh some people from my running club. It was a whole bunch of people who didn't all know each other very well, but we played games like Scattergories at first. Once we were all closer with each other, it was a lot of laughs along with the games. It was the only bright spot in my life at the time. A few hours of laughter and seeing other people helped a lot with the loneliness.

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Yep, our canvassers are coming in Friday night!! Haha.

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It's so interesting to read about election time in Philly. I'm in Nashville, which is a blue dot in a red state, so it's very different vibes down here. Lol at "candidates keep showing up at the cheesesteak place"

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