When life says there are no guarantees, I found out that statement not to be so sure of itself when it comes to Hallmark movies! If you were anything like me over the holidays and staying at home to ‘keep safe,’ you watched a lot of the Hallmark shows. You can always bet on the fact that the couple will have a lot of trials and tribulations throughout the show. A lot of flirting along the way, resistance to the relationship then the guarantee is, in the last 5 minutes of the 2 hours show the couple will finally ‘give in’ to the relationship and plead love for one another.
Does this guarantee happen in real life? Yeah, I did not think it did for you either. But, like the lottery….I can dream, right? Speaking of that lottery ticket, I need to check it while I am writing in case my life is going to take another turn and I will be rich!!
Well, no fear…I will finish the article. Apparently winning the lottery is not a guarantee like those Hallmark movies! Such a disappointment. I had planned out all the great things I was going to do with that money too!
So, what have I been doing besides watching Hallmark movies? With COVID-19 on a rampage, I have stayed in other than doctor’s appointments and occasional trips to the grocery store. Honestly, I am kind of getting sick of myself. However, I do have a Mother-in-Law Suite attached to my house and I can go there and watch TV and feel like I am visiting someone else. Hey, sometimes you must do what works best for you! Do not judge me!!
I do not think I will ever get used to wearing a mask though. I feel like I am the ‘bad person’ getting ready for a heist. When I go to the grocery store, every time I try to get fresh produce, I cannot get that plastic bag thing open to save my soul. I was used to wetting my fingers to get it open. I swear, I giggle each time I end up with that plastic bag issue. You would think by now I would have figure out something to avoid that problem. Apparently being a creature of habit can work against you with the changes our lives took in 2020.
I also have a hard time looking down to read or see things with the mask on, so yes….I am extremely uncomfortable with the mask. But I wear it as protection for others in case I am…what they call…Asymptomatic. Have to love all these new terms that have come from such a horrible virus, but I would never forgive myself if I knew I transmitted anything to someone else and made them sick or much worse, died. I guess the one thing I have learned is that just when you are comfortable with the way life is, the rug will be ripped from under you and life says, “Watch this,” and our life is altered forever.
I have had so many friends who contracted the virus and were deathly ill, whereas some felt bad for a few days and were fine. Some unfortunately have died. I did have a beloved teacher who very quickly lost his life to COVID-19. I know there are so many opinions about COVID-19 that it is just like any other virus, so no big deal, and others who have said it is nothing like other viruses. I tend to lean on the side of it being different because like other viruses, it did not ‘go away’ when the typical ‘season’ was over.
But one thing is for certain, like opinions about the virus, so many of us Americans are divided in our beliefs.
And there is nothing wrong with having differences of opinion. What I do not like is how ugly some have been to others. I guess I have always been a kumbaya kind of person and want everyone just to get along. I know with the way I was raised, if I treated people the way some are today, my Father would have punished me. Of course, in today’s way of thinking, parents must be careful with ‘punishment’ of their children. Somehow, I think we have lost our way in this world as to right and wrong.
I feel like we do not know how to talk to each other anymore. And if someone else has a difference of opinion, why we must dig ourselves in and it’s our way or no way.
I have always believed in keeping an open mind. None of us know everything and I have yet to meet a perfect person. So, why do we have to be right all the time?
I really do feel we are hurting each other at epic levels. Being on social media today is absolutely no fun seeing the nasty comments of each person defending their own side. People tout research when research is censored and we can only research what is available and what we are ‘allowed’ to see, and a lot of the time, certain things are top secret, and we do not know we are right for sure. People even go so far as to ‘unfriend’ people who do not agree with them. Talk about being close-minded? I thought they were your friends. You are not always right yourself and certainly do not know everything.
So how do we reverse what is happening today and stop the divide being created within our world today? I think we need to start respecting everyone. Believe me, I am a research girl…but you can always find something to support what YOU believe and not someone else. If you are so strong in your convictions, if you did find something that supports the other side of the coin, you would discount it in some form or fashion? Most likely you would not believe it and somehow reason that evidence away. Close-minded? Hmmm …
I do believe that the truth is somewhere in the middle. So, we need to learn to agree to disagree and let the people who are the actual experts deal with the true reality the 99% of us are not privy to knowing.
An example I love to explain is when people are running for the office of the President of the United States, I remember hearing vows to bring all our troops home from war in foreign lands. Then wherever the new President enters office, suddenly the 4-year term is over and possibly on to the next 4 years and the troops are still fighting a war.
When a new President arrives and wants to put a new agenda in place, I call it the ‘oh shit’ moment when they are briefed on what the truth is and suddenly, things change. We have to entrust there is a lot of intelligence in place who briefs the President and guides what needs to happen based on things we as Americans are not privy to know about nor should we.
So, we must learn to trust, not combat what is going on. We have to entrust (and I know it is hard for some) that people in the Pentagon and our special intelligence have our freedom and our financial well being as a nation in their care. Are they perfect? Again, I have not met a perfect person yet. But we as Americans are incredibly lucky to live in such a great country. We are stronger together and we need to start being more open-minded and caring to each other.
I am hoping I have opened a few minds today to start to work together. Please, stop the fight and band together to make our nation stronger against those people who hate us and do not want to see us succeed as a nation.
Please help me guarantee one thing for certain. If you have ideas about how to open that silly plastic bag without wetting my fingers, please let me know!
The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the publisher or any entity whatsoever for which the author is affiliated.
