Where should I go? I’m unemployed, and I need to be careful with spending, but I have lots of time, and wouldn’t it be great to travel right now with such cheap offers? I bet hotels are the same too.
I polled my friends on one of my social media channels. The responses were pretty 50/50. Half said I should definitely take advantage of the good deals, and half said I definitely should not. I debated. I love Colorado, and round trip tickets are $97… on Delta! (call me bougie but I am kinda of a Delta Guy now).
I’m not going the fuck anywhere, and neither should you.
Many people messaged me. I did some reading. I, a physically healthy 27-year-old, have so little to worry about, it’s easy for someone like me to be like, it’s nbd! I’ll just wash my hands! I can’t turn down a good deal! 🙂
But it’s not about me.
I call myself a socialist, but what I really mean is that I want the culture around me to take care of each other instead of fully focusing on the self. I want us to be willing to fight for what’s right. And right now? That means not traveling. It even means limiting my ventures out locally.
I read this article and it changed a lot of my perspectives. It’s a long but great read. It layers hard math-data science with social science in a very articulate way, even for poets like me to understand.
And one of the things I appreciate most is that it shows results. If all of us (even half of us!) just stayed the fuck inside for two weeks, we can save lives. And if the death toll isn’t high enough for you to be concerned, does it help that being super sick totally sucks? And you have so much power and all you have to do is stay home?
It’s remarkable how much globalization has spread one lil virus boi all over the fucking world. We are all so connected, and often it’s really beautiful. But it is also revealing of the risks. If you are on the fence, please consider: What would you do if COVID-19 was more deadly? What percentage of fatalities would be enough for you to quarantine yourself? If it’s 1%, that doesn’t sound like much. And “oh it’s just old people,” right? (fuck that noise, btw). Would it be 10% for you to be concerned? 33%?
Btw, I’m using the Royal You, not trying to accuse YOU the reader.
However, while I’m not one to judge life choices typically, this is one that is kinda sticking out. You could travel… or you could NOT travel, and reduce harm in society. You could go to a coffeeshop you love (like I did this morning! and will not do again for a while.) and hang out there for hours in close proximity, or, you could do it at home if you have access to wifi.
If I may be so bold, make the non-selfish choice.
If you CAN stay home, please stay home. Don’t buy more toilet paper than you need. It doesn’t mean you can’t go for a walk or something in your neighborhood, it just means you shouldn’t immerse yourself in populated areas. 6 feet away, people! That’s how far the lil droplets can travel.
I say all of this acknowledging that we cannot expect all humans in this country to necessarily have a place to “stay home.” unemployed and under-employed people working jobs without sick time have to make impossible decisions with no right answer. Work or ya die. Or your kids die. It’s so dramatic but it’s TRUE. I’m unemployed, but I own my home. I have a small amount of savings. I’ll be okay. This is not true for millions of people.
But, let’s face it. Most of my readers (all 12 of you lol) are not in that situation. Rarely is there a world-wide issue AND we can actively do something about it. Rarer still, we don’t even have to leave our homes.
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*poet snaps* 