People Are Exhausting

A cartoon of me, a chubby brunette-and-grey
woman wearing blue, with an angry
expression and her right hand up near her
forehead. There is a thermometer shaded
green to red, with the top broken and the 
caption "I've had it up to here."

I've always considered myself an extrovert, though I've had my moments of introversion - a whole year of them immediately following Laston's death. 

But lately, circumstances have forced more introversion, if only because I'm choosing to stay safe, follow the rules, shelter at home, mask when I must go out, etc. 

So yes, some of my current... antipathy toward many of my fellow humans is simply less in-person interaction with them than that to which I am accustomed.

But quite a lot of it is their horrifying, selfish behavior. Even the people who are generally reasonable are completely losing their cool. And yes, yes, we're all depressed, stuck at home, tired of this. I try to be compassionate and give people a little grace. 

It's hard to do for some of these people, with their broken-record talking points, completely illogical thought processes, and skewed priorities.

Violence against Asian-Americans is on the rise?

The reaction to mass shootings is... making it (even more) difficult for brown people to vote? Rather than - say - enforcing the laws about what weapons are okay to have?

Unions are evil for protecting their members?

Personal squick means passing laws so girls can't be on the sports teams that match their inner selves?

"Support these poor sweet helpless people who can't speak for themselves" but... they could if you'd just shut up for a minute?

Discomfort with a given work of art is treated as Truth?

George Floyd's death is an intellectual exercise? Police are allowed to kill people because they did something bad once?

If we had done the thing when asked nicely, we wouldn't be in this deep?

Football players are traitors for kneeling respectfully but actual domestic terrorists are heroes?

"What about the children?" is an anthem for people... but it's really another intellectual exercise or they'd actually look at the things that help? Like healthcare, maybe? Or higher education debt? Or teaching children about personal space? Or actual real-life kids in actual real-life cages? 

It's 2021, people, get a clue. 

Maybe someday I'll learn to like (most) people again.