Thank you so much for this! I wish I could find those people in real life too. Team Reality / Rational Ground kept me sane all through Covid. I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't found you all on Twitter. I was reading the book Team Reality: Fighting the Pandemic of the Uninformed and had to keep stopping because the tears would start. I remember so many of those posts. I have Justin's book & will be reading it soon.
I warned my church on April 1, 2020 to reopen because the gov't might take advantage. (Talk about the understatement of the century.) They were closed for a full year. Then they reopened, but banned unmasked for 1 week short of a second year. Even early on, when I was forcing myself to wear them at stores & such, I couldn't breathe and would get lightheaded. I loathed the dehumanization. Once I learned they didn't even work, how could I lie? And in church! I just couldn't bring myself to do it. But once Chicago dropped the mandates and my church made masks optional, how could I walk in there again like nothing ever happened, KNOWING that just the week before, I wasn't wanted?
My biggest regret is not marching over there, presenting myself at the door and forcing them to tell me to leave. Part of it was cowardice. Part of it was it didn't even occur to me. I was already stressed out to the max with a family (non-Covid) health situation. We had JUST gotten my mother out of a nursing home a week or two before lockdowns. If we hadn't she would be dead right now. Because of that, I was already not thinking straight. Then Covid hit. Reading old journal entries, I don't know how I survived that time.
I will also never forget trying to visit a different church and being stopped outside... by a CHILD. They had a young boy at the entry, offering masks. He was so sweet and I didn't want to make a scene, so I thanked him and left. I was fighting tears and didn't want him to see me like that. I obviously didn't blame him. I've sent at least two messages to the pastor. No response. If you're going to ban unmasked people, fine. But to put it on a child to turn people away at the door?! I was horrified. And angry.
I was without Christian fellowship for two years. With my family leading toward being pro-mask/V (something I NEVER saw coming!), I felt even more alone. At least it didn't tear apart my family like it for many people. After I touched on the issues and heard the instant reactions, I did not mention it again. That was the only way to avoid it.
I started attending a new church last year. But I've barely gotten to know anyone. I haven't formally left my old one church. I did meet with them last summer. Their minds haven't changed at all. They were trying to protect people and were following the recommendations of med professionals in the congregation. At least one is a head of a department or something on that level. How can little ol', non-medically trained me compete with that?
I am broken. I've lost all my church friends. Kids I adored & used to babysit on a regular basis no longer even know me. I am broken. I can't just act like none of it ever happened.
I hear you! We've been involved with a church that took a clear position aligned with Team Reality on the whole situation for a bit over a year now and that's been a positive experience. I still would like to find more people in real life, as most of my (former) friends are Team Apocalypse, but overall it seems more and more people are coming around.
Thank you for writing, Jenny!! We need to start searching for each other and forming new friend groups with the like-minded. We will need each other to survive.
My kiddos were in college in 2020. They asked me if it really was dangerous to visit their friends. I said emphatically, "NO! Get over to their houses and hang out just like everything's normal." And they did. They found a group of unafraid friends and maintained normal, healthy human relationships, even though all their classes were online. That same group are all still together (and unvaxxed) today.
I hate that we may have a totally splintered society going forward, but if we do, it's critical that we find our unafraid friends and hang together!
One of my go-to sources on lockdowns has been Aristotle, and his Politics. He says that in order to preserve his tyranny, the tyrant "should lop off those who are too high; he must put to death men of spirit; he must not allow common meals, clubs, education, and the like; he must be upon his guard against anything which is likely to inspire either courage or confidence among his subjects; he must prohibit literary assemblies or other meetings for discussion, and he must take every means to prevent people from knowing one another (for acquaintance begets mutual confidence)."
Thank you so much for this! I wish I could find those people in real life too. Team Reality / Rational Ground kept me sane all through Covid. I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't found you all on Twitter. I was reading the book Team Reality: Fighting the Pandemic of the Uninformed and had to keep stopping because the tears would start. I remember so many of those posts. I have Justin's book & will be reading it soon.
I warned my church on April 1, 2020 to reopen because the gov't might take advantage. (Talk about the understatement of the century.) They were closed for a full year. Then they reopened, but banned unmasked for 1 week short of a second year. Even early on, when I was forcing myself to wear them at stores & such, I couldn't breathe and would get lightheaded. I loathed the dehumanization. Once I learned they didn't even work, how could I lie? And in church! I just couldn't bring myself to do it. But once Chicago dropped the mandates and my church made masks optional, how could I walk in there again like nothing ever happened, KNOWING that just the week before, I wasn't wanted?
My biggest regret is not marching over there, presenting myself at the door and forcing them to tell me to leave. Part of it was cowardice. Part of it was it didn't even occur to me. I was already stressed out to the max with a family (non-Covid) health situation. We had JUST gotten my mother out of a nursing home a week or two before lockdowns. If we hadn't she would be dead right now. Because of that, I was already not thinking straight. Then Covid hit. Reading old journal entries, I don't know how I survived that time.
I will also never forget trying to visit a different church and being stopped outside... by a CHILD. They had a young boy at the entry, offering masks. He was so sweet and I didn't want to make a scene, so I thanked him and left. I was fighting tears and didn't want him to see me like that. I obviously didn't blame him. I've sent at least two messages to the pastor. No response. If you're going to ban unmasked people, fine. But to put it on a child to turn people away at the door?! I was horrified. And angry.
I was without Christian fellowship for two years. With my family leading toward being pro-mask/V (something I NEVER saw coming!), I felt even more alone. At least it didn't tear apart my family like it for many people. After I touched on the issues and heard the instant reactions, I did not mention it again. That was the only way to avoid it.
I started attending a new church last year. But I've barely gotten to know anyone. I haven't formally left my old one church. I did meet with them last summer. Their minds haven't changed at all. They were trying to protect people and were following the recommendations of med professionals in the congregation. At least one is a head of a department or something on that level. How can little ol', non-medically trained me compete with that?
I am broken. I've lost all my church friends. Kids I adored & used to babysit on a regular basis no longer even know me. I am broken. I can't just act like none of it ever happened.
I hear you! We've been involved with a church that took a clear position aligned with Team Reality on the whole situation for a bit over a year now and that's been a positive experience. I still would like to find more people in real life, as most of my (former) friends are Team Apocalypse, but overall it seems more and more people are coming around.
Thank you for writing, Jenny!! We need to start searching for each other and forming new friend groups with the like-minded. We will need each other to survive.
My kiddos were in college in 2020. They asked me if it really was dangerous to visit their friends. I said emphatically, "NO! Get over to their houses and hang out just like everything's normal." And they did. They found a group of unafraid friends and maintained normal, healthy human relationships, even though all their classes were online. That same group are all still together (and unvaxxed) today.
I hate that we may have a totally splintered society going forward, but if we do, it's critical that we find our unafraid friends and hang together!
Excellent! Heartfelt commentary on the current situation, and how we got here.
One of my go-to sources on lockdowns has been Aristotle, and his Politics. He says that in order to preserve his tyranny, the tyrant "should lop off those who are too high; he must put to death men of spirit; he must not allow common meals, clubs, education, and the like; he must be upon his guard against anything which is likely to inspire either courage or confidence among his subjects; he must prohibit literary assemblies or other meetings for discussion, and he must take every means to prevent people from knowing one another (for acquaintance begets mutual confidence)."
This is quoting from a translation at http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/politics.5.five.html