As much as I would love to leave the USA, I financially can't

[Sympthsical]

41. Depends on what people focus on

If people read nothing but worst case scenarios all day every day, they're going to have a certain perception.

I'd rather work. It's as simple as that. When the pandemic hit, I started making choices. I didn't like how things were going, I didn't like that I felt like I wasn't contributing, so I went back to school. Earned degrees 25 years after getting my first one. Now I've been doing nursing clinicals this fall.

I made a choice that I saw hardship, that I saw something I could do to help - something where when I retire or die, I can look back on my life and say I contributed, that I was a net plus for humanity - and I got to work.

I see this situation as similar.

People make their choices. I don't choose despair. First off, it's not even vaguely interesting. It's indulgent. And if that sounds callous, so be it. But I see so many people feeding off each other's fear and anxiety, reinforcing it, strengthening it. It creates a loop of concentrated feelings of helplessness and hopelessness.

I don't want to buy into that. Pass. If others do, that's a choice they're making. I can't make anyone choose otherwise. But is very much a choice, make no mistake.