The (Covid-19) World According to Tim

“It’s no different for me. I go to work (on a farm) every day where I’m not required to wear a mask. Except for being out in public in some places, life hasn’t changed.” My interview with my friend, Tim, went almost exactly as I believed it would. He revealed truths to me that, to be quite honest, were not surprising in the slightest. His experience with masks, quarantine, and everything else Covid-19 related, was exactly as I had imagined. Unchanged.

            Tim is a salt-of-the-Earth type of guy. He is a hard-working, blue-collar guy who “isn’t going to live in fear of some virus.” Tim works on a farm, is only around a few people every day, and has a very anti-medical approach to life. If your back hurts, get over it. If you get cut, keep working. “People die every day. Why should I continue to be afraid to go out in public? If it kills me, it kills me.” This has been Tim’s approach to everything during the pandemic. Does he wear a mask? Yes, surprisingly…a bandana reminiscent of Marion Morrison’s glory days.

            Tim’s beliefs on the coronavirus, or “China virus,” align perfectly with that of his political hero – Donald J. Trump. Did President Trump say it? Well then it must be true. This plays perfectly with Tim’s narrative that the Coronavirus “doesn’t affect him.” With his hero so adamantly denying the severity of the pandemic for so long, why would it affect him? The President was taking an approach to the pandemic that was very similar to Tim’s own life philosophy.

            My favorite part of the interview was towards the end. When asked how long he thought the virus would stick around, Tim replied: “Until the election. Once Trump wins again, it’ll all go away.” An interesting observation. Is he right? Perhaps, but I doubt it. Still it was nice to officially confirm what I believed to be Tim’s views on this whole situation. I quite enjoyed my talk with my old friend, even if we have differing views.

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