I’ve noticed something strange lately. I’ve decided it is a byproduct of the pandemic. It’s an aggression – sometimes a passive-aggressive reaction, too – toward rejection of community.

Think about it. If you turned down someone’s invitation prior to the pandemic, most people accepted it and moved on. The assumption, perhaps, was that you were busy. Because of our isolation in the last year, the assumption is that you have no reason to avoid a Zoom meeting or whatever opportunity you are turning down. In fact, you must have nothing better to do.

The last year has provided some of us an opportunity to find a certain peace in the disengagement. The quiet and the slower pace has allowed us to see that we truly don’t need to be plugged in all the time and it’s allowed us time to truly figure out what matters.

I don’t know about other people but I’m not sitting around watching hours of TV or movies. I’m not even really doing something that is considered to be hobby-ish or leisure activity. I’ve actually been very busy and very productive! So, imagine my surprise this week when I met with an overly assertive response to the fact that an 8-hour Zoom conference was not my main priority of the day. (I mean other than the fact that sitting in front of a screen for 8 hours isn’t my idea of fun any day…) I honestly had more important priorities for that time. Then when I made the decision to cancel another day-long conference, I was surprised at the lack of acknowledgement at all.

So here’s the problem. I’ve reached the point in my life that if YOUR plans for my time don’t meet with MY priorities, I don’t engage in that activity.

The problem isn’t mine. The problem is yours. No apology is necessary.