Page 10 - C.A.L.L. #46 - Summer 2020

Kibbutz Mishol, Israel

Anton Marks
March 29th

Tfw #socialdistancing and #stayinghome are a contradiction in terms.

I've spent half my life removing my front door, intentionally, hinge by hinge. Now I need to

put it back on, I haven't got a clue where to find it, and even when I do, I don't even know
which way up it goes.

I've had text messages expressing envy that we have lots of people around during a time
when others don't. However, since we have lots of people coming and going in and out of the
building, those that work in health services or the voluntary work that we are doing, in order
to protect our most vulnerable (we have a significant number of people with pre-existing
conditions which puts them in danger), and to protect those that we are working with
outside, we need to distance ourselves from one another, something which is emotionally, but
also practically, a real challenge.

No, I'm not going to lose my
job, or the roof over my head.
We'll definitely take a
significant hit economically,
but will probably only start to
feel that in the months to
come. I won't succomb to this
disease personally and I don't
have my own parents or
grandparents to worry about.

The life I have chosen is an attempt to actualize an antidote to rampant capitalism. An
alternative to the fractured society that we see all around us. Aspiring to create a society
that challenges the blind acceptance of poverty, violence, racism, sexism as 'that's just how
life is'. It's an alternative for ourselves, but also for those we meet and create new realities
with.

And suddenly we are thrown into a new, unknown and unexpected crisis situation which
challenges us both physically, mentally and financially. But the social side is the most
confusing, where our all-encompassing togetherness actually works against us.

I'm not writing this looking for sympathy, but to share the complexities of being part of a
very intentional and close-knit community that is also committed to taking responsibility for
our surroundings.

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