People predict things all the time and COVID has been one of those many predictions to come true. It was predicted through different interviews, books and probably blogs and tweets too. However, I’m not too sure how many predicted that this, the pandemic, would last until the following year. I also don’t think anyone predicted that the U.S. would need police officers to guard toilet tissue and disinfectant items. Crazy, right? Well, it gets worse and I’m sure you know where I’m going with this. I’ve found myself disgusted by the actions of so many adults during this time. I mean it was one thing to see people selling $6-10 bottles of disinfectant wipes and sprays for double to triple the price. But these constant videos of adults assaulting innocent people because they don’t feel they should have to wear a mask and those going ballistic because they can’t sit in the house. I mean, what the hell is wrong with people?

These are unpleasant times with the passing’s of so many and the constant run around of what the COVID rules and symptoms actually are. It feels like we’re supposed to sit back and give up majority of the time. But I truly feel that this is the big pause the world has been needing. Now, don’t get me wrong our president sucks, many are out and about as if the pandemic has passed, we don’t know if the people we pass by when we have to go out have it or not, people are losing their shit because they still can’t find basic needs months later, – myself included – BLACK PEOPLE CAN’T SAY “BLACK LIVES MATTER” WITHOUT SOMEONE CRYING ABOUT HOW “ALL LIVES MATTER”, there’s no justice for so many, and people still haven’t learned how to enjoy their own company. Yet and still people aren’t utilizing the pause.

Remember when we were all going to work, class, the club, restaurants, kickbacks, vacations and more whenever we wanted to with no restrictions? Well, probably not work and class because you have to go at your scheduled time. Do you also remember how in the midst of doing all those things we wanted to do we would say how we “don’t have time for things we truly want to do”? Like, finally starting that business or renting/buying that venue or publishing that first book or blog post? Remember those things we desired so much and cried about the time we did not have yet here it is and all the majority can think about is going out and not wearing mask. To top that, I’ve experienced businesses still using the pandemic as an excuse to mail orders two and three months later than they have to. How do I know this? I run a small business, I know a few people who do as well, I know people who have started businesses during the pandemic, and I get packages from Amazon weekly. And I didn’t say any of that to be funny especially the Amazon part. If small businesses are getting their orders out within a timely manner tell me why it’s taking big businesses months to get their merchandise to its rightful owners. Unless the “in stock” status is incorrect and there’s a bunch of falsified information on these websites. I can’t let a big business slack when small businesses are out here suffering left and right because of the pandemic, literally.

I don’t consider myself an introvert and I don’t consider myself an extrovert. I consider myself a being who can adapt in either setting. As I stated in my post, Why It’s Hard for Me to Be A Vegan, I could seriously do without the labels. Labels complicate things and I want to be able to say that I do or don’t like something without feeling as though someone will categorize me. With that being said I started to feel my depression worsen when the pandemic first started. Granted I’m a stay-at-home mom so I’m sure the question of, “How is this really affecting you?” is flying around somewhere. So, I felt the need to answer this in a way that doesn’t just describe what I felt then but what others may be feeling now. Simple, although I barely went anywhere, I still had the option to get up and go at free will, with or without my children. Within a matter of weeks, the world went from being free to go wherever, whenever, however to only being able to go certain places between certain times and having to wear a mask. There are so many restrictions on the world right now even with it being open to the point that I’m left confused on the regular.

How is it that we can’t be in crowds of people, six feet apart, but restaurants are open, and we have to wear a mask to be seated. Yet we can take our mask off to eat while still surrounded by those people. Does that make sense? If it does, I would genuinely appreciate someone explaining to me how. Graduations, weddings, ceremonies and more have been canceled. Hell, people can’t even have proper funerals because of the pandemic but you’re telling me that eating near a bunch of people who don’t know if they have COVID or not is acceptable? I can’t lie, I was pissed because thanks to COVID I didn’t get to see my grandmother before she passed. And now thanks to COVID I can’t see someone extremely close to my heart who’s been lying in a hospital bed for a little over a month now, thanks to COVID my reservations for my anniversary are ruined and thanks to COVID the world really doesn’t make sense to me now.

What you do is what you do but DO NOT WASTE THIS TIME. I know there’s talk about the world “going back to normal” so let’s be real here and admit that NORMAL WASN’T WORKING. Many currently have the luxury of working and going to school from home so where’s the real commute from your bedroom to the living room and that’s if you even leave your bed. I don’t know what anyone’s situation is, and I won’t pretend to know. But I’m going to say this because somebody needs to hear this, again… DO NOT WASTE THIS TIME, USE IT WISELY. And while I’m on the subject I also won’t pretend to act like I don’t know most of our desires cost, but that does not mean you can’t start writing out a plan and putting things in place. Treat this time like it matters so that when we have to go back to our regular routines you’re not saying how you wish you had time to do those things again because the time to, at least, start them is now.

It’s said that everything happens for a reason, right? Well, many of us have the time that we’ve desired for so long. Figure out how to use it but please remember to stay safe.