Thoughts about the Pandemic so far

 

 

OK, it's been a bad year, and I expect that we'll have a bad winter to endure before springtime brings the promise of normalcy returning to our lives.  Until then, we will need to hunker down as best we can.

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When pandemic first started, the general public didn't know what was happening, nor did any of us know what best to do to stay safe.  I can remember one meetup group holding large meetings when the government was trying to limit the size of gatherings just before New York's lock down.  For the next 6 weeks or so, most of us rarely ventured out of our houses, socializing only via Zoom meetups.  Schools hastily figured out ways to hold classes remotely, with mixed results.  Businesses figured out ways to allow employees to work from home.  Other businesses were forced to close because they required in person presences. There were so many things that happened at this time, that I don't think any of us will remember all the salient details. During these days, many of us lost loved ones, myself included. And most of us were totally afraid of catching the virus, as if it was a terminal disease.  Yet, only 2% of the people contracting the virus in its early days died.  The other 98% has mixed results with their recoveries. 

Sometime in late spring, we started to develop a new normal, as people started to socialize outdoors. I can still remember when the road leading to Croton Dam Park had people parked on both sides, walking 1/2 mile or so to be able to enjoy the outdoors in the park.  As for me, I started to drive further North, so that I could walk rail trails in relative peace.  Meetup groups started to get together for outdoor dining (and other activities), allowing people to get together in a reasonably safe environment. New York City streets were invaded by outdoor dining patios, and the public took to the streets in a new and pleasant way. New York State (and its neighbors) took the pandemic seriously, and people were willing to make the sacrifices needed to reduce the infection rate.

Unfortunately, many people in the more rural areas did not act as if the pandemic was their problem.  They acted as if the pandemic would never affect them - and it did.  We started seeing a second wave of the pandemic affect the country, this time causing previously "safe" areas to suffer as we did in New York months earlier.

Eventually, autumn came, and outdoor activities started to wind down.  This is when I started to fear that we would have a winter where the pandemic would replace the flu as our major medical concern.  People in urban areas were mostly comfortable wearing masks.  However, due to a pig-headed president, mask wearing and the virus itself became a political issue.  One could usually tell a person's political tribe by looking at a person's face - Democrats usually wore masks, while Republicans often did not.  People gradually became afraid of indoor dining (where it was allowed), and we became more and more isolated.  

One of the problems exposed by the pandemic was that people have a strong need to be with others.  We have social gatherings to fulfill this need, holiday celebrations, weddings, and funerals.  Regularly scheduled religious services also fill this need, and many of the people most serious about their religious activities sued the government to loosen the rules limiting social gatherings.  Some of the more orthodox simply ignored the rules meant to protect them by holding clandestine ultra large weddings and funerals, helping to spread the virus among large groups of people.  Tradition was more important than public safety.  Eventually, holiday season came around, and people made sure that they would not miss more time with their families. So they booked their Thanksgiving and Christmastime flights, and started a third wave of this virus.  People's need to be with family was more important than being safe.   

Now that winter is here, we are experiencing a nationwide spike in infections which makes what we saw last spring almost look benign.  Most of us are "pandemic tired" and feel that need to be with people.  One of my close friends was just diagnosed as having the virus. And I'm very glad that her symptoms (and her husband's) have been relatively mild.  I'm grateful that we didn't get together when she could have infected me.  But how long will any of us be able to stay safe?  Vaccinations have finally started, but are going slowly.  How many of us will let down our guards when we've been vaccinated?  Will the virus have mutated enough that current vaccines lose their effectiveness?  It's going to be a ride through the unknown, and I'm hoping we don't get too complacent because we're starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel.

 

 

Thank God this year is almost over.

Years ago, an American president said that December 7, 1941 is a day that will live in infamy.  I say, that because of our current president, 2020 is a year that will live in infamy.  When a online dating site posts an ad that even Satan could have a successful match with 2020, then it's easy to claim that this will be the worst year in many of our lives.

Earlier this year, I lost my dad. And then, due to events related to an argument with an ex girlfriend, I got blackballed from a meetup group.  Such is life.  Other people had it much worse than I did. Can you imagine a young bride having to postpone her wedding three times due to the pandemic?  Even worse, what happens when both breadwinners in a small family have lost their jobs, and have to go on food lines to have enough for their family to eat? What about a teenager who loses both parents to the virus?  Even worse, what about an extended family of 23 who loses 17 members?  As I write this entry, over 300,000 lives have been lost.  Many of these deaths could have been prevented, had our president taken the pandemic seriously and had modeled proper use of face masks and hand washing. Instead, he turned mask wearing into a political statement, and helped cause super spreader events which made the pandemic even worse.

But enough about the troubles of 2020.  We've all had them, and there's not much we can do except to muddle through and carry on.  Instead, I'd like to focus on the good things that happened this year.  For example, many of us learned who our real friends are.  These are people who would stand with us in time of need, and be there for us whenever we needed help. Many of us started to realize that our votes could make a difference, and used these votes to remove the grifter in chief from office as of 1/20/21. Even "Big Pharma" looked at the pandemic as an opportunity to speed up development of new vaccines at a breakneck speed. We're learning that even in the worst of times, there's a lot of good to be said about an imperfect species such as ours.

In spite of the bad things that happened to me and my family this year, I have benefited from what I've gained during the year.  For example, I have developed new friendships while working at the census AND have had a chance to perfect my feminine presentation. When I was training a couple of new employees, one mentioned that she'd have never thought me anything other than a cisgender female, save for when she saw my name when I logged on to the computer. I've also learned better ways of projecting an authentic feminine image while doing things which would have me wearing trouser like garments - something many newly out transgender people need to learn.  Most of all, I have been able to retain my sense of humor and have found out who really appreciates having me in their lives.

Yes, there is a part of me that wishes I could turn the clock back a year or two and do different things.  I'd still have two people in my life that I cared about.  But we can't live in the past.  We can only move forward.  And forward means entering into 2021 with hope that the coming year will be better than 2020 - a relatively low bar to reach.