The Lifestyle and Covid

تبصرے · 1073 مناظر

It's the one year anniversary of the "New Normal".

Here we are almost a year into a place of uncertainty. I remember between last January thru March when people were discussing how they had just had the worst cold or flu of their lives.  I was in Puerto Rico visiting family when my husband called to advise me that of all things there was a toilet paper shortage and to get my family set up because something was coming. I did not understand the insanity of the shortage. But I stocked up my family with the basic necessities and hopped on a plane back to Pittsburgh. 

At that point through work and some news outlets everyone was talking about this outbreak but there was nothing really definite being discussed.  We were supposed to leave the day after our Saint Patrick's Day party to go on vacation. The next day as we watched the news there was this talk about a pandemic it was being called Covid-19. As I finished packing it became evident that we were not going anywhere and there was a potential of a shutdown.

Well sure enough that is what happened as we all bunkered down in our homes binge watching Netflix and Joe the Tiger King, the whole world came to a stop. Everyone started to hear about a friend of a friend who got ill. For some it was a prolonged illness and for others there were no symptoms, but they were testing positive for COVID-19. We started to hear about businesses closing and jobs being downsized. The health agencies were advising what sexual positions where safe during a pandemic. Granted we all laughed at the memes at first, but then we started to ask ourselves is doggie all we are left with. With all the stress and uncertainty, we all stopped having sex.

Since then, we have gone through numerous shutdowns, reopens, curfews and the infamous it is a hoax. Some businesses have survived and have been able to pivot and make the changes necessary to do so while others have been left in a moral and ethical quandary as to whether they should stay open and the inevitable financial distress to the owners and staff.  

We heard of some of our friends in the community being outed on social media and some on national news for having or attending Lifestyle parties. It was creating a divide within the community, the Lifestyle community known for “no judgements”.  Most of all it was a sad moment for all of us who have worked so hard to educate society on the normalcy of what we do and of the model of discretion, respect and dignity that encompasses being a part of the lifestyle.

So, what happens now. Though some have embraced the new norm and have ventured into the virtual world, how does the lifestyle continue? How lucky are we that clubs and resorts in the US are still open? Well, we have been extremely fortunate as in other countries sex clubs have been totally shutdown, with the inability to reopen in the foreseeable future. 

The nature of what we do is based around being social and ultimately physical. Do we continue in our new bubbles and go back to hiding in our homes? Are you ready to take the lifestyle movement back 10 maybe even 20 years? Or do we continue to support our local clubs (small businesses) by being informed and practicing safer sex?

What say you…

تبصرے