Are we really ‘all in this together’?

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/10/2020 (1887 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in our province, country (and the world), we’ve been hearing the expression “we’re all in this together.”

It bothered me in March and I couldn’t put my finger on why. Six months later I’m still not feeling the togetherness but now I think I know why.

In reality we’re divided — on a number of fronts. First, there was the divisiveness of wearing a mask. People who wear masks say those who don’t cover their faces are putting others at risk. Those who don’t want to wear a mask say their rights are being infringed upon. Then there are those who only wore a mask when they had to, such as when they went into a facility that required a mask for entry. Now that there’s a mandate requiring masks in all public places, that option is off the table. But while the confusion about masks will be reduced, the angst of those who don’t want to mask up will ramp up.

So, why aren’t all of us feeling and behaving the same way, given we have the same information about COVID? Could it be because the pandemic risks are not the same for all of us?

Some have to work and board a bus to get there and wear a mask all day. Others are working from the comfort of their homes (no mask required). And still, others are staying home because they have lost their jobs due to COVID or there just isn’t a job in their field. It’s good the government is helping those who need it but, regardless of the situation, I think if I was one of those people getting on a bus to go to work every day I’m not sure I’d be feeling we’re all in this together.

In the new normal of social distancing, the easiness of greeting friends and family with a hug is gone. The comfort of inviting others over and sharing a meal has become foreign. And going to a restaurant while adhering to all the pandemic protocols, which now includes wearing a mask, is no longer the social experience it once was.

What is even more disconcerting is what this climate of distancing might be doing to young children, who — depending on how long this goes on — may not remember the real normal.

I had an experience along these lines while walking in my neighbourhood when the pandemic began. I was veering off the sidewalk to let a woman and her young daughter pass when I heard the little girl say “Mommy, she’s afraid of us.”

It was sad to hear that and left me wondering whether a generation will grow up thinking it’s “normal” to step aside (two metres, if possible) when someone is approaching.

We all are in this pandemic but each of us is living our own reality, and we’ve never been more apart. No platitude — however well intended — is going to change that.

Donna Minkus is a community correspondent for Charleswood and Headingley.