It's been many years since I entered anything here. My ideas did NOT flow like I thought they would. Too often my "philosophical" thoughts were really just rants, and the world doesn't need more of that! Ha ha!
Anyway, I've been "sheltering" at home now for several weeks. No, I haven't been counting the days. It's irrelevant to me how long I've been deliberately, voluntarily staying at home. It doesn't make me any more or less of a sufferer than my fellow citizens who are also under the same restrictions. And it doesn't make me any more or less of a "hero" -- a word that is overused in our current society -- for staying home rather than going out. But the main thing I wanted to tackle today was "fear".
First off, I'm not afraid of COVID-19 even though I'm borderline in the "at risk" group by virtue of my age. A virus is a virus. It's a respecter of none. It sounds cynical and even silly to say, "If I get corona, I get corona," but that is the naked truth. Citizens were asked to "shelter at home" to "flatten the curve" so our healthcare facilities would not be overrun. We've done that. Now, in a not so subtle bait and switch we're being told we must stay home so that no one gets sick...which is unrealistic and ultimately counterproductive. That health officials, politicians, and our "news" media use fear to control citizens is nothing new. For many of us, however, such a method has never worked.
Some are trying to make this pandemic a referendum on social inequality. In a way, it truly is but not in the way most think. It has exposed the under-educated from the educated. I won't name names, but I know several people who are absolutely terrified. They aren't just sheltering in place. They are hunkered down in fear. They don't trust anything they're being told and they spend most of their time imagining the worst. Think doomsday preppers crossed with soccer moms -- that level of paranoia and self-righteous victim hood. I know these folks. They're not "bad" people, but they're not well-educated. There are readily apparent gaps in their world view, in their understanding of history, and in their understanding of their fellow man. And as I've watched and listened to the manner in which they choose to deal with the pandemic, I couldn't help noticing the vast gulf between their outlook and mine.
Education is vital. We all know this, but how strongly do we really feel about it? In a pandemic, where I may have to depend a bit more on my fellow man than usual, it becomes something very, very important. I don't need or want hysterical people around me who can't tell the difference between opinion and fact. People whose first response is always a knee-jerk emotional explosion rather than unemotional reason are a liability in scenarios like this. And it's not that I'm not feeling some emotion here about the pandemic, but I refuse to let it govern my actions. In as much as I'm able, it won't govern my mood either. I remain cheerful and optimistic because I must. To do anything less is to become a liability to everyone around me.
The fearful ones preach on social media about hand-washing, social distancing, disinfecting stuff, and scold anyone who doesn't do things as they preach it. They are guilty of pushing more misinformation than most because their fear won't allow them to rationally examine the information that comes their way. And the choices are not binary. But when you've not bothered to get educated, then everything becomes black and white. If one ponders what it might look like to reopen society then we are the ones who want to kill Grandma. If one suggests caution, then we are the ones who want to ruin our economy. It's exhausting listening to this kind of mindless drivel and, sadly, it's rather hard to avoid right now. And it's all driven by fear.
As an act of will, I choose not to be fearful. I go about my day. Yes, I wash my hands, observe social distancing, wear a mask when I do go out...these are simple, effective things I can do to protect myself and others. I go out only once per week first thing in the morning to go grocery shopping. My life in "isolation" really isn't much different from my life before the pandemic. But the bottom line is I'm not even remotely afraid to go out. I'm not afraid that a creeping plague will overtake me. And if I do get sick, I'm not afraid of dying. Unpleasant as the exit may be, dying means going home for a Christian like me. I certainly don't relish the thought of dying to COVID-19 but I'm not going to live as if every moment of every day it may strike me down. That's just foolish...and wasteful.
Bottom line: humans are sometimes fearful, but we also have brains and the capacity for self-control. I hope I am using mine well. Sure, I've been accused of lacking empathy. No, I don't lack empathy, but if I actually care about you, I'll affirm your fear and then move on and try to help you master it so it doesn't master you. Those who strive for self-control are an asset. I want to be an asset.
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