The Chosen Warriors

The Chosen Warriors





I realize, and I hope you all do too, that we are the abled in this situation. That we are strong enough to cope, and thus we are able to see the reality of the situation. Denial is a psychological defense mechanism, often fully or partially unconscious. For whatever reason, our life circumstances maybe, our education level, our ability to stand against the crowd, our strength-- we are the chosen warriors in this battle, not just against Covid but against this denialism at mass scale.


Many of us are from the disabled community and we are at advantage bc we often have some supports in place, know our vulnerabilities, don't have to feign strength and wellness, have a head start in advocating for our needs our survival. We know how to be different and stand against the crowd. We have a head start.


Those trapped in denial are putting not just us at constant risk, but themselves. And the future of society at that, our system can't handle mass disablement of workforce, and we know the dangers if Covid and long Covid.


So we have to fight now, as the chosen warriors in this situation. We have to make people feel like they can cope so that they will drop the defense mechanisms. Exposure to solutions like masking and clean air can help. Even if they just mask for us and think it's our issue, it can help them see tools and solutions. These are the tools of this war. Keep fighting, friends!


April 2023

Why Some of Us Can See Things Others Seem Blind To (concerning COVID)

Most who know me irl don't mask right now. But, the ones I get together with, will at least mask when around me (and I only get together in well-ventilated spaces with them on top of that). It's not ideal because I'm not supported in the bigger battle-- and it's a problem, and one made worse by their complacency. But I don't think it's bc they don't care about me as much as that they are just... stuck. 


It's hard to do what we do. And they can't hack it. I kinda feel like it's actually them who are disabled in this situation. Psychological defense mechanisms such as denial are at play that defy logic and put themselves in harms way as well as us, and the future of society-- truly, our systems will not be able to handle this level of mass-disablement. 




And I think at least when they get together with me they see there IS a problem and a solution at bay. They are reminded of the reality. They see tools and are using them even if it's just for our short gathering. They may think they are just doing this for me because of my situation, but I think eventually they will see that this affects them too, and see also the increasing danger their complacency puts me in, and maybe they will see the danger that it puts us all in. Maybe it will be more likely that they will see it and drop the denial because they'll know they can cope, and maybe they will see these defense mechanisms for what they are and that they do not serve them or anyone anymore. 




In the meantime, we are actually the abled in this situation, which is weird-- I know I'm not used to being the abled one in a situation. I don't face the hurdles they do with having to work or send my kid to school in this since we can stay home.

 I can actually cope with this better than they-- I have a head start with this lifestyle, with seeing and acknowledging my vulnerabilities, with the humbling experience of asking for help and support. 

And I know how hard it is to fight out there for masks and purifiers in this state, in this political climate, especially right now. I almost feel guilty that I don't have to face those everyday hazards bc I can stay home with my son, homeschool, and have already fought through a disability case with hearing, so I have a small safety zone in my home. 

Although I still face danger, especially with medical dropping masks, and with feeling cut out of society. 




The thing about people in denial-- they want to avoid the things that would break it. Including us. We make them feel uncomfortable. And they won't even look into as why, they are avoiding thinking about it and dealing with it and don't want to see it. Of course, they are going to try to make this just our problem or try to make us out as wrong. But we know we aren't because we have all the science showing how this spreads in the air, how contagious it is, how it can linger, how many people it has killed/is killing, how it can cause long Covid, and so we have to keep trying to help them see. 


There's just so many of them that we have to break through to, and with them some pretty tough instincts, like the urge to follow the crowd, like learned helplessness, like the urge to hide health issues and vulnerabilities to appear strong, because all of those are not serving humanity right now. Anyways, for whatever reason, we are the chosen warriors in this battle. I hope we are enough. I suppose we can always call on Zorro Covid! 










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