This virus has affected everyone. For people like me, we have lost people near and dear to us. For others, like XGFJ, they caught the bug and survived - some with long term negative effects. And yet, still others are asymptomatic. It is not something to take lightly, yet some politicians have done so for political and economic reasons.
As recently as 3 months ago, New York was America's ground zero. The virus was burning, and the only way to put it out was to deny it fuel - which we did with an extended quarantine. Now, the virus is burning hot in Florida and Texas. Why? It's because the governors of those states ignored medical advice from the CDC, and paid attention to Trump's need to show that America was open for business prior to election day. People in dire economic straits usually vote out the incumbent party, and our president was willing to sacrifice the health of the nation in order to be reelected.
I've been in contact with friends in New York, Florida, and Texas, and only the New Yorkers seem to have a healthy perspective on things. We still fear the virus, but we feel safe in a gradual reopening of the economy. Compare this with Texas, where many people won't bother with face masks, and treat the act of wearing one as a symbol of a culture war. Florida is even worse. And these states are having infection rates such as New York had 3 months ago. Even an ex girlfriend of 22 years ago is worried. But she is stuck in Florida for now.
The other day, a tweet came across my path. It showed a golf cart parade of Trump supporters being heckled by anti Trump people from the same community ("The Villages".) It's a damned shame that people have consumed Trump flavored Kool-Aid, as we will be suffering for years because of this poor excuse for a human being. Because of this man's deliberate inaction, we are now in a situation where the Europeans (who are desperate for American tourist dollars) have decided to keep Americans out - to preserve the gains they have made against the virus.
I have both gained and lost things of value because of the virus. No price can be put on the loss of a parent - I will always miss my dad. However, I've learned that I do very poorly when I am idle. I need routines to keep me busy, and I need a social network to keep me sane. And I have worked to patch together such a network. Not being in intensive contact with XGFJ for the past 6 months has taught me that I should never get too attached to someone. There is a fine line between love and addiction, and only now am I truly starting to get over losing her as both a friend and lover. As much as the pandemic hurt me, this may have been its greatest gift - the knowledge that she could love only part of me, not the whole of me, making her a bad partner for me.
