How often do you receive pushback from friends over still taking the pandemic seriously? Is anyone who pushes back worth keeping as a friend? What exactly does your kind of socializing look like during this pandemic (i.e. virtual and/or outdoors and/or in indoor private settings)?
I'm trying to get back out there because I've been in a bad spot mentally and have found it hard to trust people more broadly, but the way I'm currently living is probably not healthy for me, and I feel like I do need some kind of support system beyond my family and the one friend actually still taking the pandemic as seriously as me. But as I try to get out of my house more, I need to figure out the kind of boundaries I want to set, the kinds of activities that I feel comfortable with (definitely a preference for outdoor stuff), etc.
Social life is pretty minimal. A few very small groups of non-family people I occasionally interact with. I wear a kn95 mask indoors around people all the time, but have n95's on the way. My family are libs and barely even mask now, so I mask around them for all but meals. The hope is that it'll give me just enough protection that they'll figure out they're sick and isolate before getting me sick. I'm known as someone who marches to their own drum so most people I know don't bother me about it beyond an initial query and, while I'm in a pretty Trump heavy area, I'm also a pretty large, fit guy. So it's rare I get anything more than a dirty look.
Sucks missing out though. I've turned down a wedding, concerts, and birthday parties that were too big for my comfort. Also stopped working with a children's charity I was involved with for decades that recently started back up because I didn't feel it should be continuing with the state of things. Honestly, I feel more isolated by the complete lack of concern for long term survival among the people I care about than anything else.
This describes me perfectly, too. As the vast majority of libs are now in complete lockstep with Team Blue saying the pandemic is over and eschewing any kind of precaution, I've never felt more isolated during any point of the pandemic than I do now.
:meow-hug:
I know it's a small consolation, but just remember that propaganda works and these people, the people we care about, that we see doing absolutely dumb shit are swimming in a sea of lies 24/7 that are encouraging their disregard for themselves and others. It's a small miracle you and i were even lucky enough to make it here. The chains of Capitalism may be more mental than physical in our society, but we're gonna free them one way or another.:fidel-salute:
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They had an online rsvp thing thing so I just declined and left a note how I wish they had an amazing day, gave them a cash gift, and left it at that. They knew from a previous text convo that I was really conflicted over the whole thing and was holding off on replying because I was still trying to take covid seriously. We're close enough for me to be invited but not super close where we talk all the time, so I probably felt more bad about it than they did. And I had heard from a mutual friend that they understood some people weren't going to be showing up because of covid so that took some of the pressure off. Honestly the big regret is that would probably have been the last opportunity to see my friends in that group all together again before more adulting type shit happens. We're all middle age and half the small friend group is libs who got vaxxed and think they can do anything and the other half is anti-vaxx who think they can do anything, so I'm expecting we're gonna lose someone in the next few years to come... Especially since the wedding is going to be next month when we're fully into the surge. :deeper-sadness:
I don't know what your relationship is like with these people or whatever, but honestly, unless you're openly willing to die on the hill about covid like I am, I would just be ambiguous about it. Give some vague regrets about not being able to show and then let them enjoy their day and face the consequences that come with it. It's not like you're going to get them to change their minds with a frontal confrontation or anything. Good luck!🤞
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Ah, I feel ya. It's bullshit that we have to go through this for what is a worldwide disabling event, but it turns out "personal responsibility" just means we have to take the flak for the government's failures. Hopefully your friend understands. :meow-hug: