October 20, 2005
Social Distancing
In my forays into Avian Flu Lit, I stumbled across a term that is new to me, but probably not to epidemiologists -- "social distancing". I find it a kinder, gentler way to introduce the concept of a voluntary quarantine. Quarantine has such hideous, jarring visual associations. Whereas, social distancing, sounds more like an uncocktail party .
As a child of the '50s, I vaguely remember polio, and it's effect on my limited social life. Staying away from crowded places, particularly in the summer, was the rule of thumb. I do know that I was taken to concerts and the movies. I remember seeing "Song of the South", most notably because the child standing in front of me in the long line, vomited. That was definitely a crowded place, but it was winter. By the way, I didn't catch anything from her, but I certainly felt like vomiting myself.
In searching for more information on the etiology of the term "social distancing", I came across a poster from the Potomac Institute - maybe that's the thing to distribute on Halloween. Social distancing, it seems, is a very popular, rather obnoxious, practice among teenagers. It is also what people do to lesbians.
Then again, there's always martial law
Photo note: I took this shot after a family member told me that the cardinal I had been chasing from window to window for half and hour with my camera was on the back porch. Note the many triangles, and all the black mold and peeling paint that will have to be looked after in the spring.
Posted by Dakota at October 20, 2005 06:44 AM