Giving Yourself, Even Through Fear

There's a term that social scientists use: trigger event. A trigger event is an event that was once unimaginable but has now turned into a reality and changed the course of history. Triggering events include the Great Depression, both World Wars and 9/11. COVID-19, the coronavirus, is set to become one of the most future defining trigger events of our time. It has already affected the world economy, the environment, our health, the way we interact with one another and even our smallest daily habits such as how we unpack our groceries, how we walk on a sidewalk and how we wash our hands. 

As Latinos, this presents many problems. Loss of jobs, lack of healthcare, inadequate housing or access to healthy foods. Issues that Latinos already faced, even before the coronavirus but that are now in the forefront. But there's one particular problem that we will also face, how we communicate.

As Latinos, our culture is accustomed to physical greetings such as kissing on the cheek and hugging. With new social standards, such as standing six feet apart from one another and avoiding touch, the impacts on how we are used to communicating can be long lasting. 

So how do we deal with these implications? And what does this mean for the future of communicating through body language for everyone but especially for Latinos?

I spoke with Yafi Shpirer, individual and group therapist, psychodramatist, sociodramatist and family therapist. For the last 17 years, Yafi has been living and working near the Gaza Strip with families who have been affected by war-related violence.

In this episode, Yafi speaks about how we should confront the current situation and suggests that in this case, the sense of fear we feel... can also be a good thing.

Most things, no matter how frightening, carry a silver lining.