I've struggled thinking about this post, on how to start it, how to express what I want to say without hurting feelings, or offending someone. But really is that even a reasonable expectation with everything going on. I can hear the voices saying "Just say it, don't worry about what others think!" But that is what has gotten us where we are now.....in the middle of a pandemic, our economy on the verge of collapse and no one wanting to listen to (or even consider) the other side. It's become an "Us vs Them". Sure it's been that way for awhile, but never more apparent than now.
Lines have been drawn. Walls have been built. Flags have been planted.
It shouldn't be that way. During this time we should be coming together to help each other. Instead we have one side yelling "Murderers!!" and the other side screaming "Freedom!!" and never the two sides will meet.
Now before I go further I should say, I realize, that there are those that do meet in the middle, but unfortunately their voices seem to be in the minority. Squeaky wheel gets the oil and all that, you know. Those squeaky wheels have brought me great sadness, a sadness that at times can be overwhelming. My heart hurts.
Now before I go further I should say, I realize, that there are those that do meet in the middle, but unfortunately their voices seem to be in the minority. Squeaky wheel gets the oil and all that, you know. Those squeaky wheels have brought me great sadness, a sadness that at times can be overwhelming. My heart hurts.
Now is the time we should be coming together, instead we are only more inwardly focused then ever before. We have to be able to see past our own nose. We have to or our our republic, our life, as we know it will never be the same. We have to be able to see the other side, whether we agree with it or not. We have to listen.
With that being said......here goes!
On one side you have the people who are fearful, genuinely terrified. They may have a pre-existing condition that would make them highly susceptible to the corona-virus. They may have a family member who is. They may just want to play it on the safe side because they are afraid they will die if they get it. All they hear is gloom and doom. Fear is a strong emotion, and one that is not easy to overcome. So what if wearing a mask is required?? Are they hard to breathe through??? Yes. But, if you are making just one person more comfortable isn't it worth it?? For this specific pandemic, a mask is not for your protection. It's for someone else's. It's not about you. It doesn't trample on your rights. There is no need to fight, or shoot, someone over this.....that is just foolishness. It saddens me when I hear those stories.
Notice, I used the word REQUIRED, but again I say, think about the other side for just a moment.
On the other side you have those who wondered why we were shutting down the whole world, when we've never done it before in modern times for any other pandemic. Those who may never have believed in it. Those who have followed the stay-at-home orders, and those who haven't, and are ready to get back to work, to get this economy going again only to see the goalposts moved again. They are dealing with their own fear. Their gloom and doom is a depression even worse then the Great Depression itself, we are already close to the unemployment rate that was back then. Our country won't survive. We already see the shortages of items. That will only get worse the longer this goes on. It's not about you. We need to get our country back to work. Instead of hoping that those who want to open up the economy get the virus and die, why don't you hope that they can get back to work and live? Why don't you hope that we are past the worst of it? It saddens me when I see people say those things.
Why does it have to be one or the other?! Why can't it be both? Why does it have to be all or nothing. What happened to compromise. America is the greatest nation on the planet....sorry people from elsewhere. We are better than how we have been. Stop letting talking heads (political and medical) determine our fate, your fate.
Businesses need to open AND people need to feel safe. We can have both.
As we go through this pandemic, we must remember we are all going through it TOGETHER, but we are not all in the same place. It's not about you, it's about preferring others before yourself. It's about taking a breath, and thinking about the other person. You don't have to agree with them, but you should listen and try to understand. It's about caring for your fellow man, not just the one's that agree with you.
