The term “Collapse Distance” comes to my mind once again as I take my phone to the living room/home studio, and I’m faced with one of my favorite drawings, “They’re right. I’m not Alone.” Ever since I moved to the US for college almost 12 years ago, I have had to learn to live far away from the people I love. Distance has been a very annoying thing in my life.
I first heard the term while working with my fifth graders this week; they are researching the origins of technology and its social implications. As the Atelierista, I have been helping their teachers come up with multidisciplinary experiences that would help them get a broader perspective. Ms. Amy, their teacher, wrote it as part of a reflection question during one of their lessons, and it has stuck in my mind ever since. It refers to modern technology’s ability to eliminate physical distance and allow people to connect with it.
This morning, I woke up to three texts from Dito—my boyfriend who lives in Brasil and is currently vacationing on a mountain I can’t pronounce. He sent a picture of the snowboard I got him for his birthday, a simple “Psiu..” and a “Donde estas?” forgetting he was six hours ahead, and I was still happily asleep. Later, Caki, my best friend in Indiana, texted about switching her furniture and sent me her options. It was Sunday morning, and I had no intention of doing anything but reading my latest romance novel—though I knew I should’ve been finishing my laundry. A few hours later, I finally left my bed, put away my laundry, and started organizing my closet, only to get bored 30 minutes in and text my sisters instead—one in Chile and the other in Venezuela.
They were all short interactions spread throughout my day, and yet I can't help but feel highly grateful to them.
