Back in the day, when times were normal and people could take a walk in nature in safety but didn\u2019t, I was always picked last in gym class. I didn\u2019t even blame them, I was useless on the field, no matter what sport we played. Just an awkward kid with arms and legs that would go on for miles and no idea what to do with \u2018m. There was one thing that bothered me though \u2014 when they reluctantly picked me and still started shouting when we were losing. Wasn\u2019t this the deal we had struck? You picked me. I helped you lose. Don\u2019t be all upset when the thing you knew would happen, happens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The thing was, I didn\u2019t really care we would lose. I wasn\u2019t really part of this defeated team, anyway. I wouldn\u2019t even be there if I could help it. However, the overzealous gym teacher was adamant to destroy my life, or at least the little sliver of self-confidence I had and so here I was. Part of the team and not part of it at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Throughout the years I\u2019ve seen a similar sentiment over and over again. Being a part of the same thing you\u2019re not a part of. It strikes me as a little odd and not at all how this game of life is meant to be played. However, in our quest for personal freedom, to stand on your own helps tremendously and I\u2019m afraid we\u2019re not going to give it up anytime soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What I\u2019m talking about is the road where individualism has taken us. This point where you\u2019re all these things (human, Caucasian, European, etc.) but you don\u2019t really feel you belong to any of them. This is a dangerous idea because when you feel this way you think rules don’t apply to you any longer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Take \u2018European\u2019, for instance. Right now, with this nasty little virus crossing borders as if there isn\u2019t a (mandatory) lockdown going on, we\u2019re all supposed to be at home. The European Union and nearly every government within its borders have told its people to stay inside, to slow down the spread of the coronavirus. This means all Europeans should stay put. Not go outside. Stay in. Not leave the house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Look at Instagram for a second and you\u2019ll see everyone is happily taking a shit on this request. That\u2019s because we believe everything is for everyone else. Not us. You see, we might be Europeans, but where not really part of it, at the same time. Sure, I\u2019m on the \u2018team\u2019, but they have never shown any sign they wanted me there and so when they talk about \u2018us\u2019 they sure as heck don\u2019t mean me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s a dangerous attitude. Because if there isn\u2019t a single group you belong to then how on earth will someone ever reach you? You might say they can send you a message on the \u2018gram, but let\u2019s be real for a second. Do you think that\u2019s how this thing works? \u2018If they want me to stop going out of the house, they can send me a personal message.\u2019 It would be hard to get anything done if we need to ring up everyone and his mother to get through to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No, you\u2019re part of the team. Now, if you don\u2019t like that you can become part of another team, sure. But you can\u2019t act like the teams aren\u2019t there and when it\u2019s called out, that you don\u2019t have to stick your head up, listen, and take heed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keep your distance, stay safe.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
If we don’t want to be part of the team, we won’t listen to anything. That’s dangerous.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1256,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[59,60,62],"countries":[],"class_list":["post-2125","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-category-journal","tag-coronavirus","tag-covid-19","tag-lockdown"],"yoast_head":"\n