2020 has been a real handful y'all. And number one on the "2020 is the worst" list is COVID! We've had to shelter in place and avoid most human contact. I haven't hugged my mother in six months; it's frustrating. So why is it when we're all suppose to be hiding out and avoiding contact until this under control do we have so many fools running amok... especially loved ones who implore us to join. Some of us have had to get creative with invitation excuses. The "we're in a pandemic" reasoning is a bust.
The Oath
sir i queue better from a distance yo waddup elessar GIFGiphy"I have sworn an oath of solitude until the pestilence is purged from the lands."
The Box
There's an XKCD for that: https://xkcd.com/2346/
" Haunted plague box" is the best description of a house.
Roll camera...
"I'd love to meet, but I don't want to risk it. Do you want to video chat though?"
Yes oh god. Last year I moved from FL to CA and everyone back in FL wants to come visit. Like id love for everyone to come out but it's just not safe. They ask every few months and it's always the same answer: let's wait until spring next year.
Truth
Truth Reaction GIF by moodmanGiphy"I don't want to meet because I'm scared of Corona." jibsand
Just be upfront yeah. Sometimes I'll indicate it's because I see older relatives often to take the burden off of me a bit.
ZOOM
"Hey, I really want to hang out but I'm worried about the Corona Virus." If they're really your friend they'll respect your opinion. Then maybe suggest doing something like a zoom conversation or online game.
My friends and I meet on Zoom every week now. Sometimes we all start the same movie at the same time, sometimes we play games. We were all learning how to cook a dish together a few weeks ago. There are tons of options to get people together without seeing them in person yet, OP.
never too careful
I work in healthcare. Be cautious. We have regular meetings and emails where our doctors keep us up to date. There's so much we still don't know.
I almost died earlier this year and was (maybe still am) immuno compromised. I've chosen to self isolate as much as possible.
I recently had a coworker acquaintance harrass me about visiting me. She knows my situation but continued to insist it was ok for her to visit. I've never invited her over for various reasons. It got so bad that I had to block her.
My elderly disabled mom tested positive for covid-19 a week later. We aren't sure who infected her and she's currently in isolation. You can never be too careful.
"Be in"
Got a whole friend group who care about each other and want to take the most precautions we can to protect each other. Then there's one guy who's been teaching summer classes for children for the last three months who's always the first to "Be in," and constantly flaunts protections to the point those of us who are taking this seriously can't hang out without excluding him or hurting his feelings.
For Mom
Mothers Day Love GIF by Animation Domination High-DefGiphyI've had to tell my friends several times that despite wanting desperately to hang out with them, that I'm still paranoid about the virus and I don't want to risk getting my mom sick, so I've been staying self isolated.
Looking Back
Learning to advocate for my/your own health was very tough, but the rewards are limitless with effort.
On the few times I've been rebuffed, the response I give is, "I'd rather look back on this and say I'm embarrassed about how I overreacted than wish I hadn't let myself get so sick." That's placated everyone I've used it on.
Cut Ties....
cardi b ok GIF by PepsiGiphyI have cut ties with one friend during the lockdown because of this. She didn't freak out but she got snarky after I turned down her request to meet in a park for a walk. Then she became very weirdly passive-aggressive. I had been having issues with her before the pandemic, and realized I just had no interest in dealing with her weird personality anymore.
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