This quickly changed again when I got to college, was pretty broke, and took an ethics class that changed my mind on some of my favorite stores because of how they got their clothing. I started hitting up Goodwill, etc. again. At this point in life, I can find just about anything I need through thrifting; although, I do visit places like TJ Maxx and Marshalls frequently as well - new clothes at discounted prices! 

Skin hunger? I promise, this has nothing to do with cannibals! When we discuss health and wellness, it’s safe to say that touch probably isn’t the first thing to come to mind. We might think of getting enough exercise, eating healthy, or working to create positive self talk about ourselves but hugs?

Well it turns out that hugs matter. A lot.

The sad part is that I couldn’t even see the lie I was being fed. After all, I was pretty close to being china! (which begs the question, could ceramic even become china or were these identities immutable?) We were taught to compare ourselves to objects. Objects made to be used by another person and then put away until they needed to be used again.

How high? Well, according to one recent study, a lack of social connection carries health risks similar to what you see when you smoke 15 cigarettes a day. The same study found that isolation is likely twice as harmful to physical and mental health as obesity (Cost, 2021).