“From a distance, the world looks blue and green, and the snow-capped mountains white … From a distance there is harmony, and it echoes through the land. It’s the voice of hope. It’s the voice of peace. It’s the voice of every man.”
These are some lyrics from the song “From a Distance,” made popular in the early 1990s by Bette Midler. The key word here, “distance,” has become something heard daily with the declaration of the coronavirus as a pandemic.
With this comes the concept of “social distancing” — distancing ourselves from our daily lives of work (for some) and activities, from friends and loved ones we see on a regular basis and from things that we take for granted — mall shopping, dining at a restaurant, playing at places like the arcade, park and swimming pool.
Distance sounds like a bad thing in these instances. At the same time, it can be a good thing. From a distance, you can see the good or the bad in a person, place or thing. You can see the overall picture. You can see things in a different light.
That distance could give us an opportunity to sit back, relax and reflect. It could encourage us to grow closer, reconnect or even part ways with others. It could make us rethink our lives and make changes that we just haven’t had the time to consider.
Right now, it seems like we all have a little more time on our hands. From a distance, we can hope that it brings about bigger and better things for all of us, and the ones we love and care about, once this pandemic passes.
The mom of a dancing teen and a tween who enjoys scouting and hockey, Katie Campomizzi-Clews is a copy editor at The Republican-Herald. She began her career at The RH as a staff writer following graduation from Lycoming College, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in mass communication with a minor in psychology. She shares her experiences of balancing work and parenting and takes a look at issues, events and trends concerning parents and children.
