We all have an image of the old, crusty hermit at the end of the street or on the hill. The property is not well kept; shrubs need trimming, leaves to be raked, perhaps the house looks more like a shack in need of paint. And the resident, if seen, is always stoop shouldered, shuffling along in old slippers, perhaps an old, ragged cardigan for warmth, even on the hottest of days. It is hard to tell whether male or female, at least from a distance. And that is all the closer we seem to come.

But what made the resident into a hermit?

For most people, it isn’t a choice. Sure, some choose a life of contemplation and solitude. Btu that is not being a hermit. For those who are hermits, they mostly did not choose it. Instead it gradually grew. They got older and less “firm”, making it harder to go out to see others. Their friends got older, too. Perhaps those friends passed on, and there were none to replace them. Either way, no one came to share time and help with upkeep. Over time, the resident simply closes in and gives up.

Things are even more likely to create hermits, today. We have COVID and lock downs and travel advisories (don’t travel). Nearly 20 million confirmed cases in the US alone as of this writing and more than 330,000 people dead, many old and infirm, but not all.

So, we have enforced solitude. By itself, it is not bad. But we have had it for 10 months. For older people with limited connections, that is too long. A week or two is hard. Ten months are impossible and even though we have a vaccine, now, this forced isolation will not end for many more months.

Still, we don’t have to be alone. Yes, we have to physically distance, but we can talk and we can see one another. And, though virtual, that vision and hearing and talking is enough to overcome the lonesomeness, at least for a time.

But we are still creating hermits. Part of the problem is that we are busy keeping ourselves entertained and trying to be less stir-crazy. Part of the problem is that we all have our own lives that we are trying to maintain. But part of the problem is that the older generation is less connected than we are. They can’t simply Zoom their friends. Or if they can, their friends might not be able to respond.

In this time, it means that we must take extra care to be in touch with those we know, especially those that live alone or find it hard to get out. We need to be sure we check up on them and ask “how are you doing?” We don’t have to be creating more hermits. And, where we do know of some, perhaps we can bring a little light and sharing, overcoming the “hermitness syndrome” out there.