Happy July 4th!
It’s a strange Independence Day here in the U.S. as fireworks will be scarce, professional sporting events are not taking place and many of us may be proud to be Americans but not necessarily proud of all Americans. It’s as if our country has completely lost its identity.
This is a very difficult July 4th for me personally as this will be the first time in 24 years that I will not be waking up early, heading down to the Buckhead area in Atlanta and running 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) to Piedmont Park. This will be my first time not running the Peachtree Road Race since I was 23 years old when I used to run with my Uncle Bobby who got me started with running. This race to me has been my barometer measuring how I was doing against cystic fibrosis. The race will still go on this year but it has been moved till around Thanksgiving. This year was going to be even more special because I was on my first CFTR modulator Trikafta which makes it easier to breathe and therefore run. I always wanted to know what it would feel like to complete the Peachtree Road Race and not feel like I was drowning in my own mucus.
Why are we at this point where events like the Peachtree Road Race have had to be postponed and we are all losing important moments in our lives? It’s not just COVID-19 though that’s where it stems. It’s more about how we as Americans are divided on so many issues. The renaming of military bases named after Confederate soldiers and the removal of Confederate flags and statues? The fight for LGBTQIA rights? And of course the one issue which has divided us since COVID-19 began to spread: the infamous mask debate. Why is wearing a mask a big deal? Why are we more concerned about our rights rather than our responsibilities to our peers? Why has this country become so divided? If you can answer any of these questions then you’re a lot smarter than me.
When I was growing up, my family used to go out to eat a lot when we took vacations. If we weren’t familiar with the restaurant, one of my parents would walk in first and make sure the restaurant had a non-smoking section. If they didn’t, we didn’t eat there. No questions asked. I hadn’t really thought about those days until recently because I did not understand then why people would do something that would make it so that someone like me could not be around them. It seemed selfish and unfair. Didn’t they understand that I have a lung disease and if they smoked, they could make me sick? That feeling of wondering why people would not do something to make the world better for others who are high-risk has returned recently with the fight over wearing masks.
Governor Brian Kemp of my home state of Georgia recently said that he was sensitive to those who were not comfortable wearing masks. He may as well have said that he was not sensitive to those of us who are not comfortable about being around people not wearing masks and therefore being at higher risk of getting extremely sick from COVID-19. It was as if he was removing no smoking signs from restaurants for people like me.
I feel like some people side with those who have a dangerous habit rather than those who are chronically ill. And yes, I’m saying “not wearing a mask” is a dangerous habit. Like smoking, it can make you sick and it can make others sick too.
As we prepare for another July 4th, I am mourning the loss of the Peachtree Road Race. Still I can always run 6.2 miles and feel accomplished. What really concerns me is the state of our country because it is so divided. In a year when we are mulling over so many changes in our country, maybe we should start with the name of our country. How does “The Divided States of America” sound? You don’t like it? Then figure out how we can become united again. Otherwise we will lose more than just special memories in our lives.
We will lose our identity.
Live your dreams and love your life,
Andy