quote:

“I Think He’s Selfish”: How Friendships Have Been Tested During The Pandemic

With coronavirus cases rising exponentially, people are living at different levels of risk. And it’s causing a strain with some of their closest relationships.

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/a...tionships-and-family

Am finding this to be the case with a couple of friends who are downplaying the pandemic. They both wear masks but think people are being way too paranoid. With one of them, I think it's about politics (a Republican living in a Dem-dominated state so everything the Dem governor does is garbage) and the for the other one I think it's wishful thinking. Her family business is hotel management; as one might imagine the business is struggling. She just wants things to go back to normal, and I think by believing that it's "not that bad" that somehow her wish will come true...

For sure! We have friends in Michigan that couldn't really understand why we didn't want to visit over the summer...

We‘ve terminated a few friendships. It’s not the politics, it’s the morality and basic decency.

The anti-mask thing put it over the edge.

No close friendships, but the difference is how I approach more distant relationships I need to keep friendly - i.e., neighbors still hanging TRUMP/PENCE POSTER, large new flags, and a few very sincere relations (one sometimes helps me clean) who are completely dedicated to the war against infanticide (=abortion).

And some members of the synagogue whose affiliation I am not sure of (especially on account of the Israel-Trump connection which troubles me greatly anyhow). If we were still meeting IRL it would be easier to find topics to discuss without stepping on toes (like sons who are friends) . On ZOOM, though, everything is much more upfront after the service is over. Some things you just don't ask - or even congratulate someone about when you don't know whether or not they're cheering like you are (or in deep mourning).

Sometimes it really gets down to weather and food for chitchat (and we can't even share food online). Thank G-d one member recently had a baby!

I don't know how the rabbi manages He's the most diplomatic human being I've ever known. Indeed his predecessor was fired because he was so in-your-face.
The last straw was his deciding to dedicate his main High Holiday Services sermon to same-sex marriages. Note: this was almost 20 years ago! (If you can think back)

Our present rabbi has enough trouble managing our herd of cats religiously, considering congregants range from atheist to orthodox. That's what happens when there's only one synagogue in a small community.

(At least online, there's no separating the masked from the maskless!)

I may have self-selected early. All my friends are either of the same political persuasion as I am, or are virulent never Trumpers.

I have some relatives with whom I'm a bit at arms'-length, but I haven't stopped speaking with them.

Yep - I have friends where we have agreed (either overtly or covertly) to just not discuss politics. I know where they stand; they know where I stand. In the olden days we used to call that manners.