The "New Ab-Normal" - I Reject It!

The so-called “new normal” is a construct that I refuse to accept. It is a term that has come up in the wake of the excessive governmental regulations surrounding the truly serious health crisis regarding COVID-19. I believe the governmental and societal reactions to the new coronavirus will come to be seen as far more damaging in the long term than the virus itself.

The changes to our society and nation, and even internationally, are not only a warranted response to the virus health crisis. This has also been an opportunity like Rahm Emmanuel immortalized with his pronouncement, "You never let a serious crisis go to waste. And what I mean by that it's an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before." Segments of our government have taken advantage of this time.

More and more, I run across people who are totally fed up with so many of the changes in our country and society that seem to be highlighted and magnified during this pandemic shutdown.

The new "abnormal" - what is it?

• Chaos on unlimited fronts.
• Irrational priorities and really torturous, mixed-up agendas.
• It includes turmoil that affects virtually every aspect of our society and culture.
• It necessarily assumes a wholesale trust in not only the benevolence of our government and science, but also that the experts are always right and correct and never make mistakes!

 
Some COVID-Life Keywords to pay attention to.
How might these words be used to get you thinking a particular way?
"Unprecedented" - I am so sick of this word. Like the people had it pretty easy during the Plague, WWI and WWII, the 1918 Flu epidemic/pandemic, and so on.
"Social Distancing" - Good grief - give someone a hug or at least a handshake.
“Trying times.”
“Uncertainty.” Think about it – NOTHING is certain, everything always changes!
“Unique.” As if everything is always the same…
“Global Health Crisis”
“Pandemic”
“Keeping everyone safe.”
 
There are many assumptions that are becoming all too common but they need to be seriously questioned as to their truth! 
·       What is the normal death count in the U.S.?
·       What is the true death count during this "pandemic"?
·       Where is the flu? Where are heart and lung and liver and kidney diseases?
 
Fear is good, it is our new way of life - be fearful of everything!
A modern rephrasing of the 23rd Psalm might read, "The Lord is my shepherd, but I am absolutely fearful of everything around me!" It is an absolute shame how much fear is the driving force in our culture and society. It is the power behind so much advertising that we see all around us. Do this, buy this, get this medicine, vote this way - OR ELSE! You certainly don't want to be left behind, or not be sexy, or whatever.
 
Wear your masks.There is a whole new society of mask believers - it's like living with Lone Ranger or Zorro mentality. Soon they will need different technology to identify people other than "facial recognition" - you can't see their faces anymore! There is a whole new industry of mask production, mask fashion, mask faithfulness, and mask identity, as if we live in a world where we are all going to be saved by THE MASK!

Stay home. For some of us, this is not punishment. For others, it is like solitary confinement lockdown in prison!

Stay away from others. Again, for some introverts, this is not a bad thing. But for many, including seniors and those who need social interaction to survive, this forced isolation has been adding insult to injury, and has been torturous or even deadly.

Germophobia. Spray and wipe everything around you - germs are bad for you. This was getting bad before, but it has increased exponentially with the COVID-fear!

Last but not least - our fear of death...
You should be far more fearful of not living!

“If you don't do what we (the government and its experts and agents) say, you will likely die. WE are protecting YOU from death!”

"If you don't do what we (the government and its agents) say, you will likely die."
Well, I've got news for you - even if you do everything "they" say (whoever "they" are), I can guaran-stinking-ty you are still going to die.

There is nothing you can do to keep from dying. But there is much you can do to not be living to the fullest every moment that you are still drawing breath with a beating heart!

I have heard it said that every baby that is born is a sign from God that He wants the world to go on. I believe that. As bad as it is, it is still LIFE, and life is worth living. Death has been called "the great unknown." We can speculate about what death might be, but we know what life is.

Scientists are looking for life or even signs of past life on Mars, and if they found a single organic and biological cell with the slightest indication it could have been alive, ecstatic celebrations would happen. But many people including many of these same scientist experts refuse to see the "blob of cells" of a fetus shaped like a baby human in the womb of its mother as a life worth saving from the death sentence of abortion.

It has also been said that "you only live once" (abbreviated "YOLO" for our abbreviated new communications). But the truth is that for the vast majority of us, you only DIE once, but you have the opportunity to LIVE every single day. You make many choices about how you are going to live each day.

Ask yourself - do you live in fear or in faith?
Do you enjoy each sunrise or sunset, or just grumble about the time between the two?
Do you look for ways to make everything better, or just give in to the inertia and humdrum of day-to-day monotony?
 
Do not give in to the negative, to the grim and gray outlook on life.
Get up, go outside, smell the fresh air and look at the sunshine and clouds, and breathe in deeply.
Determine that you are alive, and you are going to do something about it!
 
God bless you!