Very Sad Birthday in American History
Recent events confirm very challenging times ahead
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July 4, 2020 marks the 244th birthday of the United States of America.
This is definitely been the scariest 4th of July for me and the most challenging one I can remember for this nation.
I’m in Boston Massachusetts, one of the birthplaces of America. I’m here on business, I was in New Hampshire last week and I will be back to New Hampshire next week and I decided to spend the weekend here in Boston. I wasn’t sure what to expect with everything going on in America today. We’re in the middle of a pandemic which is forcing most people to stay indoors. A pandemic that most people wouldn’t have imagined would have lasted as long as it has.
But here we are four months in on the lockdown and there’s still no end in sight. Everybody walks around with face masks on and those who don’t wear face masks are ridiculed. The pundits spend all day talking back and forth about whether we should or shouldn’t wear face masks, whether we should or shouldn’t be outside, whether we should or shouldn’t be within six feet of each other, whether we should be allowed to eat in restaurants or bars or have fireworks even.
Not to mention movie theaters and gyms and whether they will ever be able to open again. They may just go out of business before then. Will anyone want to go to the movies or the gym once the “dust settles” so to speak? We barely started phase 2 and with a spike in reported cases, many states are shutting back down again. Phase 3 or 4 (or whenever gyms/movie theaters will open) could be months or even a year away now.
If it sounds depressing, it’s because it is. And this is coming from a guy who is always smiling and seeing the positive side of things (even if my realism causes some to think I’m being negative…). My family is generally an optimistic group and I’m even seeing through them how frustrating and depressing this is becoming. And we have no idea how much longer this will continue.
