I'm running along the street. There's a woman walking towards me. All bundled up. Arms crossed over her chest in a defensive position. I step out into the road, making it clear that I will be the one to take responsibility for us observing the government-prescribed gap as we pass one another. She whips her scarf over her face. Looks the other way as I raise my hand in acknowledgement. She is frightened of me.
I'm a runner. And some people are especially frightened of runners. "They just don't care," says one woman on the local neighbourhood venting app. "They're cretins. Aaaaaahhhh. So angry," replies another. But she's not angry. She's frightened. Frightened for her life.
And it's not just runners. Young people are feared too right now. An avalanche of social media posts last weekend made it feel like every Londoner under 30 was out barbeqing burgers in Brockwell Park. They weren't, of course. But it got closed. Because people were frightened.
It's getting so that people are frightened of anyone outside their household. For me that's everyone. I don't want to be frightened of everyone.
Coronavirus is improving our spacial awareness skills. We all know exactly what 2 metres looks like now. Although if the queue at the fruit and veg shop yesterday is anything to go by, some double it just to be on the safe side. We used to talk about people invading our personal space. Back then (all of 5 weeks ago), the rules were different. Back then, it meant not touching people you didn't know. Not getting closer than an arm's length when you were talking to someone. In a very short space of time, we have become so accustomed to the 2 metre rule that our minds shout out "DANGER" when people don't observe it. Even, as my friend Linzi pointed out on our socially-distanced Zoom call this week, when it's actors on a pre-recorded TV programme.
Touch is important to us in many ways, and would be especially valuable now.
It's good for relationships, helping us communicate our feelings and bond with others. Even simple things like an affectionate pat on the back, a reassuring touch of the arm or a celebratory high five are important in building trust. Relationships are what are keeping many of us sane right now.
Touch is good for our physical health. Massage therapists loosen up tight muscles and help our bodies relax. Physios manipulate damaged shoulders, backs, necks and limbs. Osteopaths crank our spines back into alignment. With a lot of us doing unsupervised and unfamiliar exercise at home, we need these things even more.
Touch is good for our mental health too. It releases oxytocin, which gives us a "feel-good" sensation that reduces stress and lowers blood pressure. We could do with a bit of that right now too.
And ironically, in these days of Covid-19, touch boosts our immune systems.
At the very time when we need touch most, we are actively avoiding it.
I wonder how and when we will feel able to touch one another again. There's talk in the media about the handshake disappearing forever, to be replaced by the inelegant elbow bump. Perhaps we'll raise an arm when greeting loved ones rather than giving them a hug. I have one friend who has told me he's not leaving his property until there's a vaccine. Is that what it will take for us to stop fearing one another - a vaccine? Will we be running round waving immunity certificates before someone feels safe to come near us? I hope not. I fear that if we continue this way for too long, it will cause more long-term and widespread damage than the virus itself.