15 Ways to Reclaim Our Humanness

How Hacking Tyranny and Control Can Be Fun

Have the last 2.5 years left you feeling less human?

By the time California’s Governor, Gavin Newsom, rescinded his state-wide stay-at-home orders in mid-June 2020, our local businesses had already shuttered, community gatherings had been canceled, the vibrant cultural music and theater scene had died, parades were denied, and neighbors became afraid of neighbors — all of this a surreal experience for a town that had prided itself on culture, vibrant lifestyle, and a close-knit community.

Shortly after the rescinded orders, I was sitting out on a back patio of a local hometown cafe that had defied business closure orders. I began to see a variety of community members, and their children, walking around town for the first time in months. The vast majority of these individuals I had not seen since our California Governor Newsom announced his extended stay-at-home orders.

As people began to meander out this one afternoon it was a beautiful sight, initially. A sight I had been yearning for, for many months. However, as I began to examine the faces of those  I knew, I realized I was seeing an expression, something in their eyes, that was disturbing to me.

I kept saying to myself, “That expression, that expression, where have I seen that before?”