Merry Christmas! And: Do real things. In-person.
Chances are, if you’re under 65 and generally healthy, you won’t die. (That’s not me offering certified medical advice, that’s just a reasonable statement based on all data, stats, verified death reports and science we’ve learned since March. But my husband, a top-tier educated and internationally-recognized surgeon, says the same thing.)
Do. Real. Things. In. Person. We have been — since June. JUNE.
I’m not scared of judgement, I’m not scared of repercussions. I’m just a mom and former news-media professional who’s no longer willing to tolerate the excessive brainwashing that’s now pushed too many once-reasonable people towards mental illness, loss of livelihood/business and irrational contempt for fellow human beings should someone not wear a mask outdoors while they’re adequately distanced from others.
I also refuse to raise children who fear that simply playing or walking the dog outside without their face covered up might result in imminent death. Forget poor parenting, that’s child abuse. Not my kids. And not this Christmas season.
Because this a time for truth, hope, love… and grounded reasonability.
Since June, in California, we have:
- Visited family/cousins/grandparents weekly — indoors and outdoors (gasp!)
- Vacationed out of town and stayed in hotels (gasp!)
- Eaten at restaurants — indoors and outdoors (gasp!)
- Attended dance rehearsals and performances indoors for 3-4 hours at a time, 2-3 times per week (gasp!)
- Played in parks and yards with friends, without masks (gasp!)
- Invited friends to visit us at our home and have visited others at theirs (gasp!)
- Shopped outdoor malls, only putting masks on when we enter indoor stores (gasp!)
- Visited doctors/dentists for regular care (gasp!)
- Organized and attended 2-3x weekly in-person learning pods (for 8-10 kids each), outside, without masks (gasp!)
- Continued in-person piano lessons at our home (gasp!)
- Attended work-related shoots and meetings, indoors, without a mask (me — gasp!)
- Reinvented our weekly Sunday School to take place outdoors so kids & teachers could SING together (gasp!)
- Trick-or-treated alongside families and children not in our immediate household (gasp!)
- Celebrated Thanksgiving with extended family members (gasp!)
Up until early summer, I was game to do virtual playdates, cocktail Zooms and Google meet-ups in the name of ‘staying connected’ to those we care about. Now? Can’t. Won’t. Only because this obsession with ‘apart, together’ is wickedly-warped, dangerously-divisive and much more damaging to community’s social-emotional wellness than not meeting at all. It also wears on me in more negative ways (mentally) than is good for me. (Take care of YOU, right?) If we can’t meet in person, just call me and we’ll chat on the phone instead — talking on an earpiece while I fold laundry somehow feels more humane than putting on hair+makeup to try and purposefully interact via a screen. (That’s just me.)
Our current family policy is: Opt out of social Zooms. Because more screen-time is not positive for any of us, no matter what age we are. And, it’s unnecessary per science and data that most media outlets conveniently ‘forget’ to report about.
My favorite new motto that I now often proclaim out loud: “Your irrational fear does not dictate that I reinvent my life against my will.” It’s not selfish. It’s sensible. (Remember those once-famous mantras “You do you!” and “No judgment!” Those directives sure disappeared from all the lifestyle experts who used to tout them. Huh.)
Reasonable safety measures against Covid-19 — like wearing masks indoors or maintaining a bit of space between people — is absolutely understood and warranted. (I hate doing it, but I get it and am willing to meet everyone halfway despite lacking rationality.) Rampant hysteria despite real data — like a stranger sitting on a bench 25-feet away, yelling at someone else’s unmasked kids playing at the park — is not. (Try turning off the 24/7 ‘it bleeds, it leads’ news, lady… maybe your brain will start operating decently again.)
The more we blindly succumb to fear beyond all logic, the more impossible it will be for us to rise out of the grave we’ve buried ourselves in.
Challenge yourself to be brave — to think clearly & objectively, according to data and reasonability.
For work. For schools. For health. For community and country. For this already-too-short life.
If you or someone you love is compromised, please protect yourself in the most appropriate way — each of us is directly responsible for our individual lives. Be safe and smart. But also: Use. Our. Brains. (God gave them to us for a reason.) A consistent survival rate of over 98% for those under 65 and otherwise healthy does not warrant massive business closures, social bullying between strangers and frantic paranoia happening in California and in similarly-likeminded states. Like all the woke-folk used to say: RESIST. (Who’s woke now? ha.)
If you’re not feeling well — stay home, wash your hands, don’t touch your face. If you’re sneezing or coughing — stay home, wash your hands, don’t touch your face.
But if you feel well, healthy and positively alive… then (keep washing your hands and) LIVE YOUR LIFE. Because freedom is just one generation away from extinction, always. We. The. People.
And, choosing to not live (if you’re healthy) is a severe and most devastating mental disorder that’s far worse than any virus could ever be. Do. Real. Things.
‘Tis the season… for faith, hope, courage and love. In the spirit of Christmas.
