And now, my friends, we venture out into the world wearing masks and staying 6′ apart. People giggle nervously as they struggle to navigate the “new normal.”

And some refuse the new normal. Some feel more comfortable staying home to avoid the reality. Some describe the masks as political statements.

At this point in my 46 years, I prefer to follow the rules instead of questioning the why –

Seriously, I have too many other questions that require my attention that seem far more important than should I or shouldn’t I wear a mask.

Questions like: will we all survive 2020? What will 2020 look like in years to come? How will this change us – is there enough love to remain positive for the long haul? How long is the long haul?

I walked into the barber – mask on to sit down in a plastic chair spaced six feet away from my son.

The excitement of re-entering the world has been dampened by the reality that the world may never be the same. The reckless abandonment that we all enjoyed at points in our life, whether it be at a sports game or night club – a church sermon or intimate dinner spot. A quick plane flight or a long bus ride to somewhere new – we did so without fear of a virus. We did so unfettered by the possibility of illness.

Real or imagined

Politicized or not – this pandemic will forever be apart of me. It will forever be apart of them.

And the most frustrating feeling through all of this is how it is so unclear which information should be believed. Who can be trusted as a news source? Who is pushing their agenda forward wrapped in bits of facts to seem authentic and who is bullshit?

So, I move forward anyway with the business of living. Packing for weekend trips to the Jersey shore so my children can feel that all is not lost with the virus.