Has COVID Made Us Mean(er)?

Spoiler alert, This post will end on a positive in spite of the title.

Please understand when I write this I don’t mean the actual virus I mean the repercussions from the virus and being quarantined, losing work, death, fear and on and on. It will eventually wear on anyone’s nerves. I am from the south where southern hospitality is a real thing. I guess maybe I am more sensitive to people acting more stressed, scared, mean or unfriendly or just not being themselves.

I go into a store and am working my way to the check out counter. A man is standing sort of not in line but just beside the line of people. I am not sure if he is observing the six feet social distancing or just waiting for someone. I ask him ” are you in line?”. He turns around and practically screams “YES I AM!! I HAVE BEEN STANDING HERE FOR ABOUT TWENTY FIVE MINUTES SO GOOD LUCK WITH THAT” Wow I didn’t know what to say I just stood there and waited for my turn remembering the day you could strike up a friendly conversation with other people waiting in line. Now you have to be six feet apart and if you’re wearing a mask no one can understand what you are saying anyway. I would like to say this was a one time incident but it hasn’t been. Remember this is the south and everyone talks to everyone. I am the queen of striking up conversations with people. My husband will say “who was that you were talking to?” I say I have no idea I just met them. That is the way it is where I am from. I will not stop being that way.

I guess I have noticed this shift mostly at work. I work in tourism, so yes things are different and people cannot just come and go at any time and expect no wait times or even the possibility of not visiting. To help with social distancing we do have long wait times. This makes some of our customers angry. Really angry. I have been verbally abused and threatened, on the phone, to the point I actually had to call the 911 help center and have them send extra patrol to our area. I know it was probably just someone blowing off steam but it was still very scary. You can’t be too careful. I think when people have this unreasonable reaction it is just because they are so fed up with the “new normal” way of doing things that they just take it out on the nearest person they can find. Not a good thing to do.

Some people berate you and make fun of you if you wear a mask or they glare at you if you don’t. I have been hit with both of these on several occasions.

You may be one of those people that have not let COVID interrupt your life, or so you think, you go on vacations, you go shopping and out to eat but it is still different. YOU KNOW IT IS!!! No matter what you do things are different and you feel it and you see it and there is not a dang thing you can do about it, it is affecting you in one way or another.

I go to work and I go to a few outings, I even went on a short trip with my sisters, and to the grocery store but nothing like I have done in the past. There is a big part of me that doesn’t mind because I am a bit of a home-body anyway. I wear a mask when I go out. I sanitize constantly. But there is also a big part of me that wants things to be just the way they were before COVID. I am not sure that will ever happen. No matter what I think this will leave a lasting memory or scar for most people. WahWahWah!!! I know I know. I am blessed that I haven’t had COVID or lost a loved one to it. We are in stressful times people. Be nice, be patient, be kind. When I say this I am yelling this to myself the loudest. I know it starts with me.

Now on the other hand I have also noticed some people being kinder and gentler and giving. Some people go out of their way to do for others during these trying times. Which way do you want to be remembered? we are making history here let’s make it the best we can moving forward. Too many bad, senseless and unthinkable things have happened this year. I hope we can end it on a better loving note. Are you with me?