#FOGO Fear of Going Out
I have a confession to make. As a self-proclaimed and time-proven extrovert, I have #FOGO, A Fear of Going Out! I know I am not alone in this.
As much as we want things to go back to “normal” we realize that there is no chance of being in a crowded space and not thinking about someone giving you #TheVid aka #Rona. Now we look at people in a different light. I want to see if their nails are clean, their hygiene looks up to par, and if they are the recommended 6 feet away.
Gone are the days of office parties where you let random co-workers bring food from the house. As a matter of fact, I might not want to come to a cookout, unless I check your medical history. I would also love a photo of the kitchen and your cleaning supplies, just in case.
Gone are the days of meaningless meetings that could actually be an email. I want an agenda and a time limit on everything. #FOGO me wants to keep my camera off unless it is absolutely necessary that you see my face and I am literally in my own house. The camera now feels like an invasion of privacy. Like…turn on the camera…how dare you? In addition, I also don’t want to look at you on your camera with your pets, children, up your nose, or that corner in your home office.
#FOGO me likes photoshoots to show you how I look when I am at my best. Meticulously planned visuals to show you that I am still here, I still look good, and the outfit that I would have worn to show off had the world not collapsed.
#FOGO me has embraced the social media surges of Reels, Clubhouse, YouTube, Podcasting, and all the other content creation opportunities that have popped up during this time. It has helped me to learn new skills, make new friends, and see the world in a new way. I now have a list of things that I want to do when I feel comfortable being amongst others and people to visit.
There are visions that I have of being at Essence Fest, Coachella, SXSW, and anywhere that I would have felt comfortable being around thousands of people. Now that the world is doing its so-called “Open” again, I am not jumping at the chance to be “Out”. As the invites to attend events come in and the events section of Facebook increases daily I look, but do not feel inspired.
It has changed from the colloquial, “who all over there?” to “how many people over there?” and “what’s the capacity?”. These are real questions that #FOGO me wants to know.
I am sure that this feeling will pass with the right event. I am sure that we will go back to packed-out venues and living life carefree. We shouldn’t turn into hermits or develop agoraphobia, but we have to be more careful and selective.
This pandemic has taught us all a lesson. Do what you want when you can do it and don’t take your time here for granted because you never know when something like going outside will be a luxury.
So, how do we get over #FOGO?
- Find safe events to attend where they care about cleaning.
- Go to places during the week when fewer people are out being peoplely.
- Plan more trips that explore the outdoors.
- Search for things to do in the US in case you can’t travel abroad.
- Host your own events and invite VID Free people.
- Just go to something and bring your sanitizer, keep your distance & wash your damn hands.
Let me know if you enjoyed this article and if we need to start a #FOGO helpline. #ChisaPennixBrown #GiveItToThePeople
Connect with me at www.ChisaPennixBrown.com for more Goodies.
