by ROWENA RICHIE
Part 1 “Secretly I want to be ‘Amma’ a.k.a. ‘the hugging saint,’ the Indian spiritual leader who goes around the world giving hugs to millions of people. I want to midwife life after COVID-19, to bring people back into their bodies.” –april 20, 2020 When I wrote that in my journal in mid-April I was already grieving the loss of touch. I had no idea we were going to be “out of touch” for so long. No idea just how traumatic the loss of touch would be for so many. I never expected to mourn my dad’s death from cancer against the backdrop of a pandemic. Now it’s mid-August. Last night was the first time since shelter in place that I hugged someone out- side of my family bubble: Ryan Tacata, a collaborator and dear friend. Ryan, Erika Chong Shuch and I “Zoom” several hours a week. We have a performance-making collective called For You that has been very active remotely. But we have not been in the same physical space since February. Today Ryan is moving to Vancouver, British Columbia to start a new job. Last night Erika and I went to Ryan’s to wave goodbye. We gathered outside. “Can I have a hug?” Ryan asked through his mask. “Fuck yea,” I exclaimed through my mask, adrenaline rushing in. This morning when I cheerfully announced that I hugged Ryan I was met with head-shaking disap- proval from my husband Ed. To be fair, Ed adores Ryan. This wasn’t about Ryan, this was about Ed and I not always being on the same page when it comes to “proper” coronavirus behavior. A few weeks ago we went on an off-the-grid retreat. We gave each other calming massages. We took a long, sunny walk in a nature preserve where we encountered a group of ponies. A gray pony approached us and rubbed its muzzle against my outstretched hand. I patted the pony’s cheek. Then it bent down and bit my ankle. No blood, but totally alarming. I shielded myself with the umbrella I’d been carrying as a parasol and we swiftly backed away. OF by ROWENA RICHIE OUT TOUCH by ROWENA RICHIE
Northwest Arkansas and Benton County roller derby leaguers at the Meet the Momentary festival in Bentonville, Arkansas
“Perhaps a fitting metaphor for the virus,” Ed later remarked. “Don’t get too close or it might bite you.”
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In Dance | May 2014 | dancersgroup.org
u n i f y s t r e n g t h e n amp l i f y u n i f y s t r e n g t h e n a p l i f y
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