Trying to come up when everywhere else is still down

Column

by Dylan Frazier

@dylanfrazier

Life hasn’t really been too easy for most of us since March. One day we were in class with our friends, professors, and classmates and then the next we were watching lectures on Zoom. Social isolation plaguing all of us and the constant threat of accidentally spread COVID-19 being in the back of our minds has only been part of the hardest year for many of us.

In the middle of this pandemic, we suffered the tragic loss of yet another black man delivered by the hands (or knee) of a cop. The images of cities being burned to the ground and protestors filling the streets still fresh in my brain.

If you don’t understand the message of BLM or what Colin Kaepernick was trying to do, I’m not sure that you ever will. Don’t tell me that they’re disrespecting the flag, they’re not.

2020 has really sucked, there’s no other way to put it.

I am sure I am not alone with what I am about to say, but if you disagree with me, so be it. I can say with 100% certainty that I’m not ready to be back to campus for classes again.

Do I want to see my friends that I haven’t seen in almost six months? I absolutely do. Do I want to chat with all my professors who helped shape me into the person I am today? Of course, I do.  I love my friends, I love my professors, and I love UF. Which is exactly why I am not ready to be back on campus.

If I were to contract COVID and give it to my friends, professors, or anyone else here at UF, I would never forgive myself. We all have families and friends were care about and the last thing I want is for myself to give them the virus that has impacted so many.

Not to mention my father or my brother, who are both immunocompromised, I could really never get over giving it to them by accident.

But we all know life must get back to normal, for better or worse. So I will do my part to stop the spread of the Coronavirus by washing my hands, keeping my distance, and wearing a mask. Even though Facebook doctors say masks do nothing and this is all some elaborate scheme to make the United States a police state, I choose to err on the side of science and medical professionals, both of which say wear a mask.

I’ll end with this, times are just a tough, if not tougher than they were when we were last together, so let’s work together to make the world a better place. I wish you all a great 2020-2021 school year.

And please if you feel sick, just stay home.

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