Humans CAN’T Practice Social Austerity
I’m sorry but it’s the very, very, very, VERY rare individual who can practice social austerity.
These oddballs are rarer than hen’s teeth.
Maybe an agoraphobe or a cloistered nun who has taken vows of silence is better equipped to live in isolation. Or how about a recluse like Emily Dickinson? There’s the mountain man, I suppose.
And, maybe, there’s a person like me who went to social austerity boot camp as a kid.
Growing up in a closed society, a religious cult, I wasn’t privy to most of the social pleasures that people take for granted. Consequently, I learned to entertain myself. I was so good at it that I survived social austerity better than many people survived high school. I came out on the other side with a bit of wisdom that assisted me with my eventual assimilation into the civilian world and haven’t fared all that badly considering.
So when COVID came along, well, you might say, I had a skill set that most lacked.
In fact, I shook my head when people complained about how much they missed their friends, eating at a restaurant, hanging out at the local coffee shop, you know, all the simple people pleasures that most are completely dependent upon. Whereas, I was like, hey, wait a minute, I have a computer, books, television, and a cell phone. I can also Facetime or Zoom with anyone, anywhere in the world.
It’s hard to be too bored or lonely with all of that.
None of it was allowed when I was sequestered as a teen. Some of it hadn’t even been invented yet, but I still wasn’t privy to the bits that were common place. I managed. Why can’t you guys manage for a bit longer?
But even the Queen of England has COVID.
It was in the news this morning. In fact, that news story prompted this article. Say what? The bloody Queen of England, possibly the most privileged senior citizen in the entire world got COVID? WTF? And, to make matters even worse, she most likely was infected by her son, the Prince, who has had COVID TWICE. TWICE! How is that even possible?
Do you mean to tell me that while the British government has begged people to not spend Xmas with their loved ones, to wear a mask, and to give up all kinds of social pastimes, that the Prince and Queen weren’t able to practice what they preached?
Yes, I do mean that. Why? Because most people CAN’T practice social austerity. It’s not a question of won’t. It’s a question of ability.
Most people simply cannot stay away from one another, even it kills them.
When the outspoken progressive, AOC, contracted COVID a few months ago, I finally understood the real issue. And, for her to get COVID while on a vacation to Florida, no less, I was like — NO WAY! Florida? What the hell are you doing in Florida on vacation without a mask during Omicron. Why in the first place are you vacationing and then why would you choose Florida? The land of no masks and total denial of science.
Why? Because most CAN’T practice social austerity.
AOC was there because, well, because, she wanted to catch a few rays, enjoy a meal outdoors, relax, and socialize. That’s been her lifestyle since forever and to say no to herself, even when she’s encouraging everyone else to practice social austerity, was an impossibility.
Look how long it took this country to convince people to wear a rubber when they had sex with strangers.
The denial was potent even though AIDS became an epidemic. If people can’t put on a rubber once in a while when they finally get lucky, then the daily sacrifices that COVID has demanded is simply undoable.
We can piss and moan about it all we want, but the bottom line is, austerity of any kind rarely works.
It only pays off for the occasional person who can muster up the will to practice austerity. So I might be able to stay out of debt and save money when most can’t, simply because I’m capable of practicing financial austerity by saying no to the purchase of a snazzy car that I can’t afford. I might not get AIDS because I either don’t sleep around or I wear a condom when I do. I might not get COVID because I wear a mask, avoid that indoor restaurant, and don’t get together with my family at Xmas time.
Let’s face it. That’s not the American way of life.
So what’s the solution? There is no solution in my opinion. Most people will take their chances, buy that car, have sex with the gal they met in the bar, and go to the coffee shop with their friends.
In a strange way it really does boil down to individual choice.
I might decide that in spite of popular practices, I will wear my mask for the foreseeable future because it’s a proven protocol that offers protection from COVID. The rest of the world will probably remove their masks. That’s always what it boils down to when it comes to making decisions. Personal choices.
It’s hard even for those of us who are pretty dang good at practicing social austerity, because we see so few people making that choice.
Every day, we get up and choose all over again to continue to do what’s best for us. Whether politicians, preachers, the rich and elite, even our own relatives can muster up the will to continue best practices or not, we do it for yet another day.
So, I reluctantly predict that as we loosen up our social austerity practices, another devastating variant will soon sweep through while claiming lives in its path.
I’ll no longer blame people for their own demise, however. Because I really do believe that it’s not a question of won’t but a hardcore case of can’t. I won’t chastise people for how they’re wired. We are social creatures, most of us. A few of us aren’t. And, even fewer of us received training in social austerity boot camp as kids.
Eventually, even I will give up the fight most likely, leaving only a handful of agoraphobes and mountain men to continue social isolation.
The future of social austerity has always been destined to fail.
Teresa Roberts is a retired educator. author, world traveler, and professional myth buster. You can find her books on Amazon.
