So I’ve been told I lack compassion and empathy and maybe that’s the case.
Im certainly open to growing and learning from everyone not just those I agree with.
Let me lay out a hypothetical.
Two brothers with a strict mom.
Rules are simple, you can’t go out and have fun play video games not anything, until your chores are done. You have to do your own chores no one can do them for you.
Brother Vac does his chores every day and after a very long and grueling school year sets out to enjoy his summer.
Brother Anti does not do his chores. He is not allowed to go out and enjoy things like his brother. ( even though he does anyways when Mom is not looking )
Things go along fine for a bit but Mom becomes very frustrated , coming up with strict rules that neither brother can do anything until all chores are done.
Brother Vac still does everything he is suppose to.
He try’s to talk to brother Anti and show him that it’s for the greater good to do his chores.
Brother Anti doesn’t care it’s his right to do what he wants.
All that changes is that now is brother Vac is stuck at home.
To make matters worse brother Anti is still sneaking out doing whatever he wants and rubbing it in brother Vac’s face.
For the vaccinated among us we are all brother Vac.
I guess I’m just not mature enough to have the compassionate and empathetic response to this.
Can someone please give me the proper way to respond to this situation, because I’m sure not handling it well.
That is a brilliant and very effective analogy.
I’m not sure any of us are handling the ongoing situation too well so please don’t be hard on yourself.
I want to shelter from the world to keep my husband safe but at the same time I want to get out and see the world again as long as he can do it with me! Others, understandably, feel they’ve done their bit and can’t take any more limitations on their lifestyle. Sadly the choice some make impacts on the choice I can make and that makes me scared and angry.
I guess it comes down to honesty and trust. In the example you gave Vac did everything he was asked, proved himself to be reliable and tried to persuade his brother to do the same yet in the end was punished by having his freedoms curtailed. I feel certain that many vaccinated people feel the same. Anti just wanted the good parts to life whilst not being prepared to do as he was asked.
If I could go out into the world full of people like Vac then that would be totally fine but the thought of encountering a character like Anti that could potentially kill my husband is terrifying. Yes I know that sounds melodramatic but when the doctor uses the phrase “Avoid unvaccinated people at all costs,” then maybe you understand my abject fear.
It seems to me that you are much more like Vax and are increasingly aware of the fear of people like me. So I fully understand why you don’t want to carry on with limiting your lifestyle- it’s not people like you who are likely to cause the problem. The difficulty is that no one can tell by looking at anyone else who is Vac and who is Anti. That is where the problem is and I have no solution. If you were to continue to mask in shops or crowded places that would be a gesture of support for us in fear but it is not you that needs to change your ways. It is those who are not vaccinated and not wearing masks (for example) who are limiting our chance of returning to normal and I think, rightly or wrongly, that we are just as entitled to have some fun and freedoms as they are.
Apologies for the ramble, with no solutions but I think I just want to say thank you for taking the trouble to listen over the last couple of days and to assure you that the fact that you are thinking about different perspectives means that you are handling the situation much better than you think.
Take care, stay safe.
