Six Feet of Separation
29, June 2020

Have you heard that theory?
Of six-degrees of separation . . .

It says that any one person is connected by six or less people to any other person on the planet

All eight billion of us
are six people or less . . . apart

Because I know someone, who knows someone, who knows someone, who knows someone, who knows someone, who knows you

So someone, who knows someone, who knows someone, got sick
And then I got sick, and then you did too

In 2020 we don’t need the theory of six degrees of separation to know how interconnected we all really are

Now it’s six-feet of separation
And a face mask
Or a screen

Between us

Six-feet that because of those six-degrees
Will keep someone who know me, and who knows them, who in turn knows you

Safe

It means that no matter who you are, what your race, how you vote, or what you do or don’t pray to
You know someone, who knows someone, who knows someone, who knows someone, who knew Breonna Taylor

And

The officer who killed her

It means that all of our actions matter to someone 3-6 feet
Or degrees
Away

Like putting a small scrap of fabric over your face in public
Like looking a stranger in the eye
Like teaching your children the real history
Even when your ancestors are on the wrong side

Like checking to make sure it is the right apartment
Or asking yourself if your discomfort is really the same thing as a threat
If it really warrants a call to the police, which may be deadly for the child of someone, who knows someone, who knows someone, who knows you

We all know Trayvon’s mom

From one to 6 feet
Or degrees
Away

And so did the man who took him from her

Seeing the Humanity of the person six feet and six degrees away from you

Might save a life
In more ways than one

It might save you
In more than just your life  

It might save your humanity too

Just six feet
And six-degrees
Away