Unfriended over Covid

[littleloopylou]

A friend of 15 years essentially ghosted me and I was worried about her mental health - she has three small children with SEN issues, hates the UK, and is outraged over the UK response to the pandemic (we are both American)

I decided not to take the presumptive ghosting personally and sent the friend some flowers with a card saying I hope that she's doing ok after the long lockdown.

She railed at me some time back about how piss poor the UK government has been, and about how little people here respect Covid safety, and I told her that I really didn't think it was much better in the US, where we are from. I explained that maybe in NYC people wear masks, but where I'm from in middle America it's a point of pride/liberty to let one's face breathe germs freely.

She has emailed to say thanks for the flowers but that it's better for her mental health not to talk to me because we have very different views about the pandemic and England's handling of it.

I'm a bit taken aback and continue to be worried about her mental health. I told her that I respect her wishes and I won't contact her again, but it's left me a bit

@wellthatsunusual the covid situation has lead to people acting completely different due to it being something we have never dealt with. If people are unwilling to talk about the “conspiracy” theories such as the government being allowed to close people’s business to apparently save lives, than I do question if people do match my own wavelength. If I have a discussion with that person and we listen to each other, that’s great. However if someone is really indifferent to talking about it than I just find them like sheep. Thankfully the majority of the people I’m friends with don’t support lockdown. My family do so it creates tension.

With religion people are generally not open and I get called a islam a phobic if I dare try and have a conversation. Those who I’ve had a conversation with, and we are each other’s point of view but don’t change, we are good. But if someone isn’t open to challenging their viewpoints i tend not to be friends with them. It’s not a way of weeding out people, it’s just my personality and what I like to talk about and what I find respectful in people.

Generally I love just finding why people have their viewpoint. I’ve also travelled to destinations your mother wouldn’t want you to visit and I’m open to different viewpoints. All about understanding people.