The Temptation of a Group Hike

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A few days ago I signed up for a group hike but decided not to go for two or three reasons. The two main reasons were the size of the group and the weather. From what I saw fifteen people were going to go on that hike and I am still in pandemic mode. I would be happier with a smaller group of people. fifteen is too large.

The secondary more valid reason is that rain was forecast. It’s not that I don’t walk in the rain, because I do, but if I’m walking in the rain I might as well not drive the electric car, to do a group activity where we will be walking through puddles in a forest. My hiking shoes are in the car. I put them there yesterday, so I could walk comfortably in the rain.

It bothers me that Switzerland, England, the US and other countries decided to pretend that the pandemic was over, because, for single people, without families, we are completely responsible for how irresponsible we are, for our own safety. If we have children then we have no choice.

When Switzerland decided that vaccination, without COVID zero was enough, I was agonisingly depressed by the news. It destroyed my hope of returning to a normal life. I’m still living for COVID zero. I’m still masking. I’m still social distancing. I’m still avoiding crowds.

I want to work remotely because I don’t want to be on a temporary contract and catch COVID-19 and Long COVID because then I’m doomed to a low quality of life until I die. I don’t want that. I don’t understand why people have given up hope of COVID zero.

I still remember Foot and Mouth England, where we avoided going to see wild horses, where we walked in soap baths to clean our shoes. I also remember the Mad Cow disease crisis. It’s a shame that with the COVID crisis we had such awful people in power, in Europe and the US. It doomed us to living with a disease that we could easily have eradicated.

I’m trying to stop wearing the masks but it’s hard. For me, not wearing a mask indoors, is akin to self-harm. I don’t like that normal people have decided just to live with COVID, to be fatalistic about this situation.

I will resume normal life. I wasn’t ready this weekend, especially given the expected bad weather. I have no choice but to play COVID roulette.If people tolerated masks then I would socialise. They don’t, so I stay in solitude.