Has Quarantine Life Changed Us And The Way We Behave Toward Others?

Okay hear me out for a minute. I live in the South and we are known for “Southern Hospitality”, but I fear the virus has changed us and I hope we can get back to the way we were. We went to Blue Ridge, Georgia this weekend and while it is normally the sweetest little southern town you would ever, it has turned ugly. People are just, different. I know we are fearful of catching a virus that we still don’t know a ton about and what we do know changes daily, but when did we stop being polite or hospitable to each other? I wear a mask so I don’t have to hear it or get dirty looks, not because I want to. We social distance and freak out if someone comes into our six foot bubble. We have stopped being the social creatures that we are meant to be.

My three year old had to potty and as anyone knows with a little one when they say it, it needs to happen pretty quick. I asked the store employee if there was a bathroom he could use and she said nope you will have to go somewhere else. I was like okay he can hold it for a minute. I walked next door to a cafe and asked if he could use the bathroom as he is saying I have to pee pee, and the employee there says no, you have to go somewhere else that they have to sanitize theirs every time someone goes in. At this point my frustration is growing because I don’t want him to pee himself. He looks at the lady and says please I need to use the potty real bad and she looked at him without skipping a beat and says sorry you can’t use ours. So, me being me said fine if everyone wants to play this game I will find somewhere for him to pee. We walked across the street, there was a tree and there is where he peed. I covered him as best I could of course and he pees in the woods all the time so this was no big deal for him. I had a couple of people turn there head at me and I looked at them with a look only a mama can give. I think they got the picture and continued on their way.

My point in all of this is pre-COVID I don’t believe this would have happened. People were compassionate toward one another and they would have noticed he is just a little boy that needed to potty. Where has that compassion gone? Are we ruled by fear now? Is this what life will be from here on? I really hope not as I can’t imagine this being the world we raise our kids in. We still need each other regardless of what everyone says. We are social creatures and have been since the beginning of time and trying to change that will not work long term. Hopefully we will come to our senses and we will get back to being the hospitable people we were! Stay safe, stay friendly and this will all work out in the wash!