I'm 53 years old and that would imply I've been alive thru
three pandemics.
A toddler during the 1968 flu pandemic but no memory of such. Sophomore in college when HIV/AIDS declared a pandemic in 1987 and now 2020 Covid-19 pandemic.
In the late 1980s when HIV was spreading. We (the young) didn't really take it serious until it was declared a pandemic in 1987
or something like that when I was a sophomore in college. Yeah, I remember the free distribution of condoms in the dorms and at parties...it was as normal as paying for a $2 dollar cup of beer at someone's house party with
unlimited refills as long as you had that cup.
There were lots of parties considering I lived on Greek street.
Yet, I saw the same in another country because I went to high school / secondary and university in two different countries...same attitude in United States and France. We (the young) cared a little because we saw the worry in our parents faces but it wasn't a big deal to us. We were more concerned about hooking up with as many girls as possible, next exam and the next regatta.
Without question, pandemics makes most young people angry and the immaturity quickly shows up no matter whom are looking at them.
My mom was young too during the Indochina War and living in Asia (my grandfather in the military). She maintained a very good diary during that time of the Asian Flu pandemic. Her diary reflects the same attitudes by the young.
Well, everybody eventually grows up and will experience at least one pandemic in their lifetime. Unfortunately, today's young have social media...a word, sentence, paragraph spreads quickly and without control.
That's very different in comparison to prior generations and it makes this pandemic so much different than prior pandemics...social media.
You will be old one day and the young will still be careless, lack of concern, smart asses, know it all, think you're immune
or strong enough to fight off a serious illness along with maybe
bragging you had it and life goes on. It's a natural process of life and growing old one day.
Remember this, Corona Virus was declared a public emergency
late January. World leaders including President Trump viewed it as a problem in China and some with trade problems with China begin using the phrase "
Chinese Virus" to imply it was a "cultural disease".
Now everybody is playing the blame game. For example, China wasn't upfront about the early days of Covid-19. China states the world reacted via a flinched or hesitated when China was shutting its doors (martial law is some cities as the cities were closed off from the world).
Fast forward, March 11th Wednesday, WHO declared it a pandemic and now the world leaders changed phrase
very fast except for a few. Covid-19 is
not a "cultural / race disease"...the same attitudes I remember when the ignorant thought HIV only infects gay people.
Sure, many say
had these world leaders acted earlier...there would not have been the current knee jerk reaction to Covid-19. That ship has sailed. Get over it and now deal with it.
Usually, the ignorance is displayed by the young, religious, people losing their jobs and so on. It's an over-reaction of fear too and people quickly develop the mentality of survival of the fittest. Pandemics aren't suppose to be a party, its not comfortable, people lose jobs and people will die...nobody likes to be put in an insecure situation especially when you're worry about your family or you think someone is trying to prevent you from enjoying the pleasures of life.
As stated, I've seen this before and we have yet to reach that
infection curve (where not there yet) for the attitudes to change. It will be reach when the young begin to become infected too in large numbers...the infection curve will then flatten.
That's when the attitude will change and anyone with a teenager
or immature adult will understand you can
not change their minds. They must experience this pandemic, bear its consequences of not being properly prepared and you hope they will learn something before the next pandemic when one day they are
old.
By the way, my young teenager is still mad at me for
not allowing him to go to a party a few weekends ago...the so-called
party of the year as he phrased it. He'll get over it just as I did when I was young and as my mom got over it when she was young. There will always be another party.
P.S. Pandemics are becoming more frequent. We should or need to be worry about that.
wrbtrader
