When I was a kid, I’d get so terrified at night – imagining the demons and werewolves peeking out of my closet – that I couldn’t move, scream, or sleep. Of course, there weren’t any monsters in there, but it was the unknown that was the scariest. There might be monsters in there, but then again, there might not be.

The past few weeks have been really strange, and I expect the new few weeks (and months) to be weird. No one knows what’s going to happen, obviously. Think back to New Year’s Eve; did you think your world would look like this right about now? I did not. Not only has the coronavirus taken lives, made people really sick, and changed the way we all work, it’s also made us realize how much things can change so quickly. This change – and not knowing what’s likely to happen – fosters the fear of the unknown.

Yes, there’s always the unknown, but we operate within probabilities. The sun will probably come up tomorrow. Grocery stores will probably have toilet paper, cleaning supplies, and hot dogs. My job will probably go on and on. But, other than the sunshine, the probabilities have been diminished over the past month.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been told to social distance. That’s fancy bullshit for just keep your distance. But guess what? Social distancing is really just being afraid of the demons and werewolves that might be in that closet. I can’t shake your hand, because I’m so scared you might have the coronavirus. I can’t hug my mom, because I’m afraid I’ll get her sick.

Yes, we all have made adjustments, will continue to make adjustments, but for how long? And will these adjustments ever rollback? Well, do you still take your shoes off at the airport? Do you leave your water bottle behind? Be prepared – this is more control, less freedom. It’s werewolves and demons dressed up as “for your safety, sir.”

Admittedly, this post has little to do with goals but centers on frustration with the world right now. Yes, this virus is real, but so is the fear-mongering that cable news blasts on loop. That fear of the unknown may give way fewer liberties and more bureaucrats telling you what to do in the name of safety.