A partial transcript of Episode 16 of THE ART MOVEMENT. To listen to the full radio show, CLICK HERE.

Pubs reopened in Britain and I saw those photos of the insanely huge crowds of people drinking in Soho, in London, wearing no masks. And this is a country where over 44000 people have died of the coronavirus. What that says to me is that this generation struggles to find a sense of responsibility.

Maybe it’s because there was a time when people were forced into responsibility because it was normal to lead a normal life and start a family from a young age, whereas now people of the western world tend to choose to not start a family until much later in life if indeed they choose to start a family at all. And I say that as a man who doesn’t have a family and who struggles to have a relationship with a lady that lasts longer than a couple of weeks.

So, it seems that the summer, as predicted, has lured people into normalcy and we all know that this is going to lead to a second wave but we currently laugh it off, forgetting that the coronavirus is still around and has not been cured. There is still no vaccine or magic pill. Those little viruses are still among us.

Yet, I do believe it is right for the governments to safeguard the economies by slowly reopening businesses. But ultimately, my thought is that this loosening up of restrictions should not mean that we forget that as citizens of the world, we still have a responsibility to protect the most vulnerable ones among us.

And I understand that it’s not easy to wear a mask in the summer heat. I hate it too. I absolutely hate it. But here is the thing. I’m not much of a sociable guy. I don’t do well at parties I’m terrible at small talk. I’m just an insecure guy when it comes to those types of situations. Worse than that, I get so distracted by work that sometimes it seems like I’m just not very present as a friend and even a family member.

I mean, I’ll be there for you if there’s a reason for me to be there but if you invite me to a barbecue, I’m probably not going to go because first of all, I’m a vegetarian so that already brands me as anti-social and secondly, I’m probably going to drink too much because I get bored talking about nothing. My best friends in life are those with whom I’ve shared creative projects or with whom I currently share creative projects. Otherwise, I’ll be friends with you but let’s text.

In any case, what I am getting at is that I don’t hate people. On the contrary, I love people. So, how do I show people the affection they deserve and how do I express the empathy I feel for them — because I am quite an empath. Right now, the best way that I can do that is if I continue to wear a mask on public transport and in shops and so on. And also, the best thing that I can do is to probably stay away from you as much as I can. Don’t take this the wrong way… I’m doing it because I care about you.