The world is back, and it’s going to be weird. Maybe more so depending on who the world perceives you to be.

Just trying to get some words written down here. So please humor the poor editing.

In a way, we’re all prisoners re-entering back into the world. The pandemic is slowing down here in Massachusetts, and with it comes the realization that we can’t all just hide in our bunkers any more. Or maybe we can. Maybe for some people, being in our bunkers is where we’ve craved to be. But I think above all else, this has definitely shown that the introversion/extroversion dichotomy is actually more of a spectrum. You’re not either/or – you need both to an extent.

I know in my own personal experience, it originally felt great to separate myself from the world and work from home, but it’s pretty clear I’ve become like a feral cat – very reactive to pretty much anything. Apparently, this is similar to what prisoners experience as they come back into the world.

If the past year has shined a light on anything, it’s that there really are two Americas. Or maybe, it’s just a spectrum where we better not “catch you slippin now”. It’s not fair – and the system really heavily biases towards how proximal you are to the founding fathers. Any maybe, you should think about that. Think about how when you reintegrate back into society, you may be given the benefit of the doubt, or maybe you won’t. Why is that? Question it.

I’ll leave you with a chart from the great Tatiana Mac’s presentation on privilege (which stands on the shoulders of giants) and a prompt. Where will your proximity to these attributes extend you the benefit of the doubt as you reenter the world? What can you do to elevate those who don’t have the same proximity? Once you see it, you can’t unsee it.