IDK how to explain to people that it's not just about covid at this point. I haven't had a cold or flu or any kind of illness in years now. I haven't been sick since 2019. The way we used to live now grosses me out, and I simply do not want to return to it.
I actually like wearing masks in crowded areas, I don't like smelling people's funky ass cologne/perfume. I don't care about seeing strangers' faces, or being expected to smile all the time.
I actually prefer socializing in small groups. Conversations with more than about 5 people start to stress me out.
I don't miss bars. Just don't care. Alcohol sucks. I kind of miss live music and restaurants, but ultimately not enough to risk getting even like a cold or food poisoning or whatever "normal" shit like that that is no longer normal to me. Life's too short.
So few people died of the flu in 2020 because people were actually consistently masking. I don't think I'll ever be able to get over that. All of the people who died of the flu, every year of my life, were all totally optional. All of the people who died of the flu since 2020 were also all totally optional, but even more unconscionable, because we knew an obvious solution. We know how to solve these problems and are choosing not to. I simply don't understand.
I used to see pictures of people in Japan, wearing masks during flu season, and thinking "That would never happen here." And yup, it didn't happen here.
@ScottSoCal Yeah I was shook a couple years ago when I realized people in East Asia don't mask up because of SARS, people in East Asia are [still] masking up from the 1918 flu pandemic and we all should have been this entire time?
Like actually, what is the problem here? Literally billions of people in Asia have figured this out.