The following is commentary intended for discussion. Add your comments.
Each day there are new stories in the news discussing how certain cities, counties and/or states are getting back to normal after more than a year of Covid-19 restrictions and abnormalities.
I've visited many places outside big cities in the U.S. during this time period and found that for many, they were living relatively normal life as early as late last summer. It's just that most of the news coverage understandably focused on places in crisis or where Covid-19 outbreaks were the worst.
What has it been like where you live? Do you live near a big city or in a rural area? Leave your comments below.
It’s back to normal here in St. Louis County, Missouri, Sharyl. There are a few people wearing masks in stores. The Restaurants and Bars are rockin’! Been this way since mid-May.
Do you mean back to the Obama "new normal" of low expectancy? Yes.
On the discussion of "more or less" time on social media - that is where my news is located, so as more information comes out I spend more time searching and researching information. If the world was back to normal (or had been left normal) I would have been and would still be spending less time on all types of media.
I live in a rural No Calif county. We are mainly skeptical of many governmental dictates. This is especially true since our Sep 2015 fire evacuation later proven to be unnecessary and was then was also found to be a training exercise to see if people would defy logic and travel on a 2 lane curvy road that would be inundated by the fire were one actually going on. So when officials pull this crap unexpectedly, like at 7Am on a Sunday, you trust them. After watching what happened in Paradise Calif, we no longer trust very many officials. *** Many little out of the way places don't insist on masks or social distancing. That has been that way since Feb 2021 or so. A few places are a bit draconian - so we do not shop there or eat or drink there. *** Oh and Bye Bye Gov Gavin!
Here in central Nebraska things have moved back to nearly normal, there are still about 10% of people wearing masks yet, a few of the restaurants have take out only mainly for lack of help. Still alot of help wanted signs for good paying jobs with benefits..
Is life back to normal? Life can know no degree of normalcy when you're punished for choosing not to vaccinate.
Is life back to normal? We're told "We're in this together", while people, like me, continue to be ignored, suppressed, censored, and, in some cases, arrested for holding church service, no, we're not in this together. No. Life is not back to normal.
Is life back to normal? Ask those who've had their cause of death disguised or kept off the record by hospitals and/or employers because those in their care died from the vaccine. Ask those now gone if life is back to normal.
Whose cup runneth over when many drink from a poisoned chalice?
You get the message, that's why you're most likely here. It's a tragedy of tragedies that so many still don't understand their right to pursue life, liberty and happiness is on its death bed. In their ignorance and indifference, I see my downfall.
I'll end by telling you that when all powers have betrayed us, the final defense is the people. An educated kind is the only way out of this. With that, if this comment is seen, this site is yours. Educate. Demonstrate. Liberate - https://truthathalfmast.wixsite.com/iamia
Suburban/rural Oregon here. Life is not even close to back to normal here. But a big loosening of statewide restrictions is expected before July.
Rural Iowa. We have worked the entire time. Our grandkids were in school all year. I still see a few people in masks but not many. We have a great governor! There are reported over 6000 deaths and 58% are over 80, one third of the deaths were from nursing homes. Now... we could be "normal" if there weren't so many shortages for our materials!
agree w your observation
will add based on extensive road travel that east of the mississippi and approaching roanoke the fear of the rona is amplified and it increases as you go deeper into the NE
many in the NE are still stuck in various forms of covid anxiety disorder
there is an interesting admission by British authorities that they purposely turned up the fear to get people to take action .. they have since rescinded the approval of such a thing
turns out it's hard to get the target to drop their guard when they've been traumatized
SNAFU
Things are not back to normal in Chester County, PA. While the county brags the highest vaccination rate in the state and masks are no longer required, the patronizing, mask-wearing sheep are still outnumbering the science believers by an approximate ratio of 70% to 30%. I don't think they ever intend to ween themselves from those filthy, useless face diapers. It's a badge of virtue signaling honor for them. I just don't get it.
Ohio: hospitals won’t let children visit their siblings in the hospital due to COVID. Mask mandate very much in effect with armed security in hospitals. Outside of hospitals and military bases, things are mostly normal except for all the stores that closed and never reopened and the ones that can’t find anyone to take work over welfare.
Life was pretty good compared to a lot of places here in Houston but thank God the masks are gone! No telling how many days, months or years of my life were taken away breathing C0² everyday for 8-10 hours a day for 8 months just to get a pay check. It is also nice to be able to sit and eat at a restaurant the last six months and be able to eat inside any restaurant the past month at full capacity. Now we are 95% open here only fast food and a few other places so try to restrict full access but I just won't give those my business. God bless Texas and glad to of been here of all places during this. God bless Abbott he is actually trying to make up for his Govid-19 transgressions.
Not even close to normal in the people's republic of Connecticut and the surrounding states (liberal controlled states of course). These governors, school boards and local municipalities are drunk on power. We've only lived here 14 months for my husband's job and are researching our options to get the hell out. I'm a red state girl trapped in a blue state that has no desire to return to normal and freedom.
Rural Ohio. Still too many dupes thinking the mask and shots will protect them and scared of people who aren’t scared of Covid et al but are greatly worried about our country. Many office workers trying to ramp up the insanely busy-yet-accomplish-nothing-useful patterns of behavior where we are pitted against each other instead of observing and addressing the true threats. We are moving toward what “normal” was like before Covid and it’s utterly frustrating to watch happen. . I won’t go back to that and am fortunate that a few family members get what is really happening. There isn’t a single person I work with that dares to mention any concerns and we are aligned with the dept of defense. It’s sad to observe people who’ve taken a oath to support and defend the Constitution throw it away so easily. I know that they’d eagerly load up and physically fight an obvious direct threat but they’ve lost all ability to think for themselves.. We are all going to pay for this willful blindness and the sooner we can get to that day of reckoning the better.
In Maryland (Baltimore Area) 80% of people are still wearing masks in stores that don't require them.
However, yesterday we traveled to Western MD for the day and it was a whole different story. The stores that said that masks are required had many people not wearing them. The state is highly vaccinated so I don't get it .8% infection rate yesterday.. It's probably because we are overrun with liberal leaning people in the Baltimore metro area . The Western part of the state is more conservative and that would be my guess is the difference in the mask wearing habits.. You can still see people wearing masks outside while they are taking a walk. Call it the Fauci syndrome.
Rural NY here.
Prior to the "luv guv" total opening of the state yesterday, there would still be people wearing masks, less that 50% but still sizeable.
Now that all the restrictions have been lifted, will have to see in the next few days.
Due to the enhanced unemployment benefits, fast food and casual dinning restaurants are offering wages up to $17/hr.
Sounds great right?
Until that $2.99 BigMac is now $6.99.
Not just McD either. Read a report of more than a few chains will be raising their prices.
I went to the garden store yesterday and was greeted by a sign that said I had to wear a mask upon entering if I wasn't vaccinated. Doesn't seem normal to me...
I live in Pa- Delaware County . Still seeing more than half the dingbats wearing masks everywhere. We have a 60% vaccination rate. Schools were back 4 days a week before they ended this week. Hiring signs everywhere! Fast food lines because of the help shortage. I was in St Michael’s MD today, lots of tourists but a lot of the businesses were closed.
Once the seeds of fear and intimidation are planted, sprout, and grow, it's hard to pull it up completely by the roots.
I live in Knoxville, TN. Both the governor and county mayor have lifted all coronavirus restrictions. However, there are still a lot of businesses who require them for their workers or require them for customers. But we are still (for now) a Republican dominated area, so there are a lot of people who are patently ignoring those requirements. In any case, in most of the surrounding towns of the city, there have been very few restrictions altogether, and even in the city here, there were a lot of people and places who were not following the restrictions. That's probably much of the reason we opened up so quickly.