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Lived Through This
What 4 Years in Solitary Confinement Taught Me About Surviving Isolation
I turned my prison cell into a space of enlightenment, creativity, and higher learning
People around the world are swarming grocery stores, hustling to buy as much hand sanitizer, water, and toilet paper as they can. One by one, districts across the United States are shuttering school doors, leaving children and parents asking the question, “What are we going to do now?” Major conferences and festivals like SXSW, Coachella, and Something in the Water have been canceled, and many employees have been ordered to work from home.
The feelings of anxiety and uncertainty are palpable both on- and offline. Our collective stress level appears to be rising as bad news unfolds in a digital river of press conferences, news clips, and uninformed blog posts. The reactions are understandable — these are scary times. For many, it’s the first time their lives have been thrown into the chaotic world of uncertainty. It’s also the first time a pandemic of this magnitude has affected the global community since the Spanish flu in 1918.
While reflecting on the countless news articles, news segments, and texts I have received, I found myself in a calm state. Instead of panic and…
