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Solitude Is a Privilege Too Many Take for Granted
Not all of us can create our magnum opuses if we live in overcrowded housing
In recent weeks, the theme of solitude has forcibly taken center stage in our lives. Counsel from public health officials around the world has been unwavering: The magnitude of the harm caused by this pandemic will heavily depend on how well people adhere to social distancing protocols. While it’s too late to contain the spread of Covid-19, there is hope in slowing it down — flattening the curve, as they say — so long as we stay away from each other as much as possible.
Today, more people live alone than ever before: 28% of U.S. households in 2019. None of us can know for sure how long “safer at home” measures will be in place, but the delicate relationship between solitude and loneliness is one many will likely have to learn firsthand. And science has long shown that prolonged solitude can have irreversible effects on human health. But in this country, even in these conditions — or perhaps especially in these conditions — spending time alone at home is something that remains a luxury for many people.
I was raised in cramped apartments with too many bodies and not enough rooms. With mattresses propped up against living room walls, the roar of my father’s stubborn snores would rumble…
