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I am not sure if the balloon is for a sixth birthday, or for a birthday celebration that is *six months late,* but here we are, having family over in the middle of winter, when our daughter was born at the end of summer. 

Originally, we had postponed the "party" (a few family over for coffee and cake) due tot he kitchen renovation, but then every time we have tried to organize it since, there have always been too many people ill with one thing or another. I think this is the fifth attempt at holding over the last three months and with less than an hour to go until guests arrive, I am going to go out on a limb and say that it might be the "lucky one" that slips through a healthy gap. 

![image.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/tarazkp/23uQpZo5KKexSbuXvFPYVDBkRyR32JZq2CrdEX2XeGaWEcgQqpmi9kLj74vVTQid66iqz.png)

Smallsteps has been pretty good at all the cancellations even though she has had a lot of expectation on having people here. While it is good to have disappointments in life, I wonder if this is a response to the last couple years of pandemic behavior, where people have become quite happy to cancel on short notice, without actually thinking about the people they are cancelling on. 

After the party here, Smallsteps will go to her grandparents and my wife and I were meant to go and have an evening with friends for a few drinks and conversation, but as of this morning, that has been cancelled also, again for risk of illness. People have become so scared of getting ill, that even though they aren't going to face any issues and will just have a flu, they will avoid people. It seems the plan worked, we have become *even more* isolated and fearful of each other, and I believe weaker as both individuals and a community, as a result. 

This week was meant to be one of social connection and so far, *nearly everything* has been cancelled and we aren't seeing anyone other than family. I am pretty disappointed, as I feel that I need some external contact and discussion with the world, as I feel the walls of life closing in and cutting off my will for social interaction. Being with family is good, but a little psychological distance is also needed sometimes. 

One of the "lead by example" things parents need to consider with children, is how parents interact with others. I hear about all of these people worrying about how their kids are get along with others at school, but what example is being set in the home and what effect is this social disconnection going to have on children, as they start to "mimic" their parent's increasingly reclusive lives. In my opinion, all of these various "small issues" are going to compound against each other in ways that are unlikely to make society better in the future, and people will ask, "how did we get here?" and the answer is simple, 

>Because we chose to disengage from society out of fear of each other.

The negative effects of the last few years that are going to affect all of us are going to be long-ranging, with some being quite blatant, and many being far more subtle, but just as damaging. So many of these things will never be attributed to the actual causes and catalysts, and instead will likely just be brushed aside with those who remember lamenting, that things used to be better in the past - and while every generation might think this, this time, they are probably right. 

But, since there is nothing I can do to force people to get together, my wife and I will have a night to ourselves and can perhaps have a nap and, perhaps have a sleep in and catch a movie tomorrow. It isn't what we had planned, but it is still a little different than what we normally have available to do on the table, and that is something to be grateful for. 

Party time. 

*Better late than never - *just like changes for the better.*

Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]


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