Fasten Your Seatbelts! It’s Going to Be a Deadly Ride

Americans are living in unprecedented times. That’s something we’ve grown accustomed to by now, however. We can’t remember what it was like for our ancestors. Life in the last 150 years has massively and quickly changed the world. It’s continuing to so do, too, and exponentially faster each passing year.

Historically, we’ve never seen anything like it before.

We doubled the lifespan in the last 100 years in many countries. Our knowledge about how the body works is unparalleled. Gone are the days when we explained epilepsy as a case of demon possession. What a relief, eh? We also have hopes of once again increasing the lifespan significantly in the near future. And, this time we won’t merely live longer but also live healthier.

Will 80 be the new 30?

Everybody EXPECTS to live to at least 78 these days. Although that number has decreased since the pandemic by a year and a half. Still, to die at age 70 is considered quite young. We like that little benefit to living in this time period, especially when it comes to our own personal longevity. That’s why even though we abuse our bodies on a regular basis, as soon as we feel threatened, we rush to the doctor expecting her to fix us.

You’d think we’d be sending our doctors a Xmas card every year.

I mean considering how determined we are to live longer and longer, you’d think we’d show some respect and gratitude. But instead we get mad when science can’t offer a quick fix while unable to do our part to help keep the average lifespan from dropping.

Even those who belong to the wellness movement, refusing to mask and vax up, are pretty lax when it comes to living that healthy lifestyle they claim will protect them. That’s why it’s no surprise that hospitals across the nation consistently report that during a COVID surge, the vast majority of COVID patients occupying a bed in the ICU are unvaccinated.

Seems that their natural immunity strategies aren’t all that effective.

Of course, neither was the natural immunity of our ancestors terribly effective. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have taken so damn long to double the average lifespan. For centuries the average lifespan hovered around 45 and the farther back we go in time as low as 25 was common.

But, but, but we want to live forever.

We like the idea of growing old, old enough to be grandparents maybe even great grandparents. We deserve to live a long time, too. In fact, all we have to do in order to make that happen is strengthen our natural immunities by detoxing regularly and taking supplements. We refuse to accept anything other than a long life. The universe will deliver that to us if we stay positive.

Hold on! It’s going to be another deadly year whether we like it or not.

Uh oh, that’s a big problem. Because our epectations for a normal life, you know the one where we are obese and sedentary but live to at least 78, will continue to be challenged by a sneaky little bastard called COVID. A tiny, unwelcome, and virulently aggressive enemy to our tranquility and hyper sensitivity. We have rights, don’t you know, and high expectations, too.

That makes us MAD.

We want to continue living the modern life that our technological advancement affords us. A lifestyle that simply can’t be compared to any other time period in the past. We’re determined that NOTHING will change. So, we resort to doing what humans do best, wishful thinking and denial.

We don’t want this to happen so we decide that it’s NOT happening.

There! That takes care of that. And, when our doctors who we have long relied upon to keep us alive fail to do so, well, we respond emotionally not logically. We can’t accept that science hasn’t had time to catch up with a new virus, one which mutates constantly and one for which we have zero natural immunities.

We pitch a privileged and ignorant fit instead and decide it’s time to burn science on the alter of the gods and demons of our ancestors.

It feels good to rail against the very people who we believe have let us down. We refuse to cooperate and our short supply of patience wanes quickly. When our patience wears thin, we become less cooperative. When we become less cooperative, chaos sets in. Chaos defies a good plan and reasonable expectations. We start making bigger demands as conspiracy theories abound.

But none of that changes a damn thing.

Because until science figures out a way to combat new viruses, we will always be under threat and in danger of regressing. Our average lifespans will shorten not lengthen and our confusion and desperation will drive us to be less cooperative the more dire things become.

So brace yourself because it’s not over yet.

The bumpy roller coastal ride of the last two years isn’t over and all the crying, pissing, and moaning isn’t going to help one bit. Get used to it.

And, while you’re at it, give your doctors a Xmas present this year, because they’re exhausted and you’re not making it any easier for them.

Teresa Roberts is a retired educator, author, world traveler, and professional myth buster. You can find her books on Amazon.