How Being an Essential Worker During Lifted Stay-At-Home Orders Drain My Energy

I currently live back home with my parents in Los Angeles due to classes being online. It’s been rough this entire quarantine because I have to manage being a student, server, and taking care of my little brothers and dogs. My parents are rarely home because they work and manage two of their own restaurants. 

Ever since the pandemic hit, I have been helping at the two restaurants almost every day. Being an essential worker during this pandemic has taught me how inconsiderate and ignorant people can be. I mean, I’ve always known that but the way people handled this pandemic really showed their true colors. I was happy doing take-out only instead of dine-in, but once the stay-at-home orders were lifted, I felt scared and tense. All over my social media, people were cheering about the stay-at-home orders being lifted. It was ironic, I thought, because what were they really celebrating? Getting sick? Since I am at high risk due to having a heart condition, my family was very understanding about not having outdoor dining. However, I received a storm of customers asking and even demanding for our restaurant to allow outdoor eating. I couldn’t help but wonder why people were extremely adamant on wanting to risk their lives and others’ just to eat out? Even in the cold weather? There’s no way outdoor dining is worth getting sick over. That could never be me. 

Although my restaurant is only doing pick-up orders, customers still struggle to follow the rules. There’s been many instances where customers will try to come in without a mask because they “can’t breathe” or have a “medical condition.” If you have a medical condition wouldn’t you want to wear the mask and social distance even more that way there is no risk of getting the virus?! Make it make sense. It’s tiring enough to work from 11:00 AM-10:00 PM all while trying to remain safe. Having to repeat myself to customers to put a mask on or explain why outdoor dining is not happening anytime soon, is exhausting. It’s crazy how strangers can easily drain your energy by being ignorant and irresponsible. I understand that people worship politics to the point it becomes a personality but when it comes to arriving in a private property/business, it shouldn’t be a hassle to follow the rules for 10 seconds just to pick up some food. I am TIRED and I am disappointed in this society. If we keep going on lockdown and going back to opening things up again, we are never going to make it out of this pandemic. We all need to come together no matter what political parties we believe in; the hardcore fact is that there is a pandemic! Wake up people!

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