From deniers to just being plain ignorant, there was a lot of denial during the COVID pandemic. No matter what you said or what evidence you uncovered, there were people who just didn’t believe it was a big deal. Meanwhile, it took over 7 million lives. Unfortunately, this led to people refusing to mask up, which only spread the virus and contributed to deaths. A woman in Maine shared her frustrations regarding this discourse after her mother-in-law shared an infuriating meme with her family.
The post was shared on r/ChronicIllness, where OP herself frequents because she has an autoimmune disease and suffers from Long COVID. OP said she’s angry because her MIL sent a meme to her family group chat, poking fun at people who “wear masks alone in their car.” OP also claimed her MIL had repeatedly come into contact with family despite knowing she had COVID. She’s definitely a model citizen of not caring.
They also pointed out that her mother-in-law is an OR nurse and should be fully aware of the dangers. She is also fully aware OP and her husband wear masks for their own well-being. Now, OP says, “I am disgusted by people who do this to family members let alone make fun of vulnerable people.” She also added that she is “hurt by the downright cruelty.”
Commenters agreed the way MIL chose to poke fun at people says a lot about her character. One person shared, “I mask as well. I get mad that even leftists will talk about the ‘damage lockdowns did to everyone’ while they go maskless in public spaces with Covid still spreading. Everyone has severe cognitive dissonance.”
OP replied, “I have friends who are immunocompromised/have long covid and they deserve to be able to navigate spaces safely. Wearing a simple mask is so easy for me to do AND it’s not a bad idea for myself.” It takes so little for individuals to think of those around them and to care on the most basic level. However, some people really don’t get it; others are just careless.
OP has every right to be frustrated because Long COVID is no walk in the park. She mentioned she deals with a “high heart rate, weakness, fatigue” and more on a daily basis. She added, “I just can’t afford to feel worse and I hate having to explain all the little details just to be dismissed anyway.” All of us deserve to feel safe and healthy. If there’s a way to prevent harming others, why not do it?
