Themeattics

I was not born to be forced. I will breathe after my own fashion. Let us see who is the strongest.

Henry David Thoreau, On the Duty of Civil Disobedience

I was in my Sophomore year on my way to Geometry when I first heard the news. I wish I could remember who stopped to tell me about the plane crashing into the first tower, but I don’t. I thought it was… not a joke, per se, but people being ridiculous. It was high school, after all. Then I got to class and watched the smoke billow from our small CRT TV huddled up on its corner of the wall. We got maybe five minutes of that before our teacher turned it off and we took the planned quiz. None of my classes after that talked about it at all. I didn’t realize the extent of what happened until I got home later that day. I don’t think any of us realized what that day would do us moving forward.

Remember all those little, temporary changes made to protect us afterward? Airport overhauls, increased security, information gathering networks, boosts to national security influence and power. They were necessary, remember? We were under attack. There was a clear and present danger. We had to do something. Then, when things were done, we could go back to normal.

Twenty years. Can you turn around and see that normal anymore? What did it look like? All minor changes, right? Minor losses. So we can’t see our loved ones off at the gate anymore. We can’t bring normal sizes of water. Lost an hour or so of time in our day to be sure we get through security. So there are new, overarching agencies that may or may not be checking our communication at all times. So we’ve pour trillions of dollars into making sure everyone is safe and secure.

Feel safe yet?

We’ve had twenty years, have we stopped radicalism yet? Has the world taken one great step toward Utopia? Everyone getting along now, no issues?

Alright, so we haven’t quite been able to bend human nature toward our ideals. No biggie, that stuff happens I guess. It’s hard, I get it. But we can absolutely exterminate a highly contagious virus. Easy peasy.

Just fifteen days to slow the spread. It’s just a mask. It’s just keeping away from one another. It’s just a shot. Just another shot and masking again. Just a third shot. Just an app to track your GPS location and take facial scans to confirm you’re where you’re supposed to be (Thanks, Australia). Just OSHA regulations to pummel any business with the audacity not to force its employees to comply.

I’m sure it’ll stop there. These things always do. The government is just here to help, after all. And hot damn are they great at it, historically.

Look, I say all the time I don’t want to get political, but when my president takes the time approaching the anniversary of 9/11 to tell his country to shut up and comply, I hit my limit.

What the hell is wrong with us? Have we forgotten that we’re going to die someday? Have we forgotten that there are bad things in the world?

But Tom, you say, not getting the vaccine is selfish. People who don’t are endangering people around them. Well, according to the director of the CDC stated that the vaccine won’t prevent infection or spread. It’s pretty obvious that it helps curb side effects, which is great! If that’s something you’re concerned with, by all means, have at it. No one’s stopping you. But if, as the CDC and data continues to say, there’s no real effect on transmission, why do you care who has it or not? Are you trying to tell me all this absurdity is for each individual’s own good?

Alright, I’ll bite. Where do we go from there? Mandating people keep themselves perfectly healthy at all times? Force exercise, ban certain foods, legislate a certain amount of sleep every night? My BMI is a little high right now, that puts me at higher risk of medical issues which would use hospital beds that other people might need. Better nip that in the bud.

I hate anecdotes but whatever, I’m angry so I’ll use one anyway. I personally know people who have dropped off the face of the earth since the pandemic first started. One in particular got vaccinated right away, had contact with people outside of their direct family, kept their children from going to parties, didn’t attend their friend’s wedding, and STILL came down with it recently.

How long will it take to accept that this is just a thing we have now? Is it worse than the flu? Yeah, in most cases. Does it kill people? Of course it does. Let me repeat this one so people in the back can hear it: we all die. Or, as my dad always said when I was growing up, “Life sucks, then you die.” There will be no Utopia on earth. You won’t live forever. You’ll get sick, you’ll get hurt, you’ll fail and suffer. Welcome to the world. The only control you have is how you, yourself, deal with it. The only option is liberty. Stop expecting other people to take care of you, especially the government. They don’t know you. They don’t want to. They want to live like kings. And so far, we’re doing a bang-up job of letting them.

They do not relinquish power. They do not relinquish control. If you learn anything from 9/11, learn that. Once you give it up, it’s theirs. That stuff doesn’t come back without going through dark times. I’d really we rather not go down that route.

So, please, just try to live. Truly live. Remember what that means.

Memento Mori.