Invited 5 Slovaks, 1 Ukrainian to come over yesterday for food, drinks, boardgames, banter, ‘vibes’ etc. None came. Then an overworked Lebanese cardiologist in training on 3 hours of sleep a day, while moving house, video called me for an hour. In a war zone.

And even during the call, he had to call up colleagues to tell them that an operation that had been cancelled was back on. So he had to wake up some people and tell them that the surgery was on anyway. Even while doing that, he found time for me, called me back after he was done with that. We talked for about an hour.

He really listened, told me very interesting stuff about Lebanon, his work, the patient, the surgery, what he’s studying, his private life, asked me many questions.

So that guy who is studying to be a cardiologist is on his way to be one. He has all kinds of issues, challenges, is learning French because he wants to move to France to learn more.

He actually manages to make time for me, whereas six people that I invite to my home to do fun stuff, play board games, eat good food, drink, they don’t even respond, or are too afraid to come over, or have some excuse why they can’t be here.

So many people are lonely, so many people are starving for connection, but those connections have to arrive like their food arrives: prepared in a box, ready to eat, safe, no effort, tailored.

And maybe even then they would refuse it.