A Call for Kindness

Well it seems that the Western World has declared COVID is over, as mask, vaccine and social distancing regulations no longer exist in public spaces and begin to decrease in workplaces as well. With PCR testing now inaccessible to the public, and hospital cases seemingly lessening. I have felt the general mood shift and a certain 'social pressure' to embrace the likelihood that I will eventually get COVID if I want to continue participating in society.

This all going on while low income countries in the world have less than 20% of their populations having received one dose of a vaccine. I guess, when you have privilege, money and power it is a bit easier to decide when your country is finished with a global pandemic.

I have found it difficult to adapt to this mindset of "embrace COVID" and while I understand that people are tired of being restricted and having to adjust their lives to accommodate safety measures against this virus, I have found myself disheartened at the lack of inclusivity we as a society seem willing to extend towards each other. After the last few years of learning and unlearning as a white, Canadian, able-bodied, cis gender woman amidst the rise of the BLM movement, the mourning of lost indigenous children's souls in the continuous uncovering of Canadian Residential School graves, and the influx of violent hate crimes against Asian women in America, I am continuously reminded that I am so incredibly privileged. I am privileged to have received my first vaccine a year ago, and to have a stable job where I can work from home and connect online with family, friends and colleagues. 

I have been reading about how the rise of social media as our main news outlets during a global pandemic has created for extreme divide and disarray. In knowing that pandemics do not create for unity amongst people but rather do the opposite, instilling fear in us towards our neighbours, it has been a hard time for me to withhold judgement towards those that have different political and social views from me. And I have felt the same from others in return. 

I understand and share the desire and need to be back together in community again, face to face, but I struggle with fear and anxiety in the uncertainty of gauging whether or not I can trust people that I have long been physically distanced from. I have fear that I will contract a virus that I still would not like to get, and would certainly not like to pass on to my unprotected 2 year old nephew, and immunocompromised sister. I also understand that life goes on, and for most of my friends and colleagues, COVID has come and gone and they are all completely fine. 

I am not sure exactly what the solution is, but I do hope that we can continue to be conscious of others and their comfort levels in public spaces because we just do not know a stranger's story and background. And one thing that I am finding is that this distancing, isolation and social division over the past few years has impacted how we interact with each other in public. It feels as though there is more hostility and quiet ignorance and less kindness and awareness of others. 

I was in a Shoppers Drug Mart a few weeks ago, just before the mask mandates were lifted and I watched a middle aged, unmasked man shove aside an elderly woman as he rushed into the aisle ahead of them. When she yelled at him to be more careful and wear a mask, he quipped back "shut your mouth old lady!" 

Two complete strangers. 

I was appalled at his behaviour, and found myself seething while angrily texting my partner about the incident I had just witnessed as I waited in line for my prescription. When I reflect on it now, I feel mostly sad. 

I guess that my intention in writing this post is mainly to share the challenges that I am going through in trying to adjust to this new normal, while also mourning the sense of solidarity I felt with people in general before this pandemic hit. I do hope that regardless of our political, social and safety preferences, that we can find a way to get back to respecting each other as fellow human beings in a world that has been through a hell of a lot and is still going through wars, and a pandemic that continues on. 

I also want to acknowledge that we have a right to our emotions of anger, frustration, impatience and irritation. I know that when I feel these emotions, the only way forward is to process them and accept them. They do pass, but I get stuck sometimes in my believing that others are bad and/or against me. I suspect that others might get caught in the same patterns as well. So in writing this post, I am also reminding myself to be kind and patient with others. To try my best to give them the benefit of the doubt, if not simply for my own peace of mind and heart. I hope this resonates with you as well.