At this time of social distance,
We need shared rituals
Now more than ever
Even if they are shared
At a distance
Over an internet connection
Or in a choppy livestream.
.
In an age of
Alacarte
Individualized
Atomized
Disconnected
Consumerism
We have very few communal rituals
To bind us together
To remind us
No one is an island
Separate from the main.
.
And the ersatz rituals we do have
Seek to monetize us
Commodify the experience
For passive consumption
As a lifestyle product:
A sportsball game
A lackluster blockbuster
A concert of prerecorded audio loops.
.
So let us embrace
The communal
The collective
The old fashioned
The traditional
The ritual
The participatory
As an act of resistance
Against the totalitarian hedonism
We are immersed in
And the nihilistic anomie
It inspires.