Boys and girls, sometimes “adulting” sucks big ol‘ donkey balls. James is here today to give it to you straight. Here’s why we decided to cancel our travel plans over Coronavirus. So cock an ear an’ get ready to listen.
Method to the madness: It’s because we’re tryna be flippin’ decent humans.
There Was A Plan
There was a plan in place. It was really stinkin’ simple. My trip to Hawai’i was supposed to almost dovetail into Asia. Show off the tan lines and the workouts (yer welcome, social meeds). Sweat our brains out. Eat weird things. See AMAZING *EVERYTHING.* Sleep awkwardly close to one of my favorite people on the planet. I’d purchased the flight for a SONG with miles from the gigs and a few nickels for taxes. Andrew had scheduled fun stuff every single millisecond of our trip, including some exotically ethical animal excursions. I CANNOT GET ENOUGH ANIMALS. PERIOD.
Bat Soup
I GOT A BUZZ CUT TO AVOID HAIR CRUD. I am severely attached to my hair. Call it vanity, call it gratitude for still HAVING it this late in life. Either way, I one-guarded my way into Private Pyle-dom to make sure I didn’t have to worry about that blonde, moppy muppet pokin’ me in the eyeballs while pettin’ pangolin on wildlife preserves.
BUT NOOOOOOOO. Somebody somewhere had to have fledermaus up in their soup bowl and spread some kinda damn COOTIE all over the planet. One that started out as “less threatening” than the influenza, “less plague-worthy” than SARS. Flash forward two weeks and Delta is sending me a refund and my happy ass is at the house under quarantine munching snacks and repotting succulents (?!?). Some called it a hoax. Others still aren’t convinced this is really happening.
FRIENDS. NEIGHBORS. LOVED ONES. I ASSURE YOU. THIS IS REALLY HAPPENING. IF YOU THINK OTHERWISE, YOU ARE A FOOL AND I AM TELLING YOU THIS TO YOUR FACE.
Lemme rewind. Lemme gooooooozzzzfrabaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh.
<INHAAAAAALE> <EXHAAAAAAAAALE>
The Word “No”.
OK. I don’t love the word “no.” I do not. Never have. I’ve always found a way around somebody or something that didn’t have the vision, the guts, the heart, the ambition to help me find a way to accomplish what I wanted to do/achieve/see. I’ve always had a li’l contempt in my heart for folks who would prefer to see me stumble than succeed on my way to whatever goal I had in mind. And that’s what this felt like. No. FEELS like.
Somebody somewhere thought it was more important to put forth the appearance of OK instead of jumping in front of it, making hard choices, and hemming up the threat in some really uncomfortable days.
BUT ALONG THE WAY
They could’ve saved dozens, hundreds, thousands of lives, and preserved the integrity of economies worldwide. They could’ve saved MILLIONS the fear and the anger, anxiety, and helplessness they currently feel in their hearts for the security of their future, for their FAMILIES’ futures.
I know this because that’s how I feel.
The ARROGANCE. The bald-faced deceit. The pride, vanity, and whatever other toxic, useless motivation that not only canceled my trip–a MINUSCULE droplet of nothing in the grand ocean of humanity’s ills that now face us all–but also inflicted losses that none of us have ever seen at this magnitude before in our lifetimes. And I pray to all that is holy we’ll never see them again.
But I know better.
Doing the Right Thing Sucks…
At this point, Andrew and I didn’t HAVE to cancel our trips. But that’s not what we’re about. That’s not what the spirit of travel is about, in our opinions. We didn’t start The Adventure Dudes to push through “no matter what” in every scenario. I don’t think we ever thought we’d have to change our plans for something like this, but flexibility for all manner of reasons–plans go sideways, weather interruptions, PANDEMIC CONCERNS FOR THE COMMON GOOD OF ALL PEOPLE EVERYWHERE–there are many good reasons for postponing, rearranging, or even canceling your travel.
Allow me to be crystal clear: sofa jockeying is NOT an excuse. Lack of funds (in just about any other situation, not necessarily right now) isn’t even a valid excuse. If you stay tuned right here, we can give you a MILLION ways to see your dream destinations for pennies on the dollar! We LOVE it! We LIVE for it!
…But You Should Do It Anyway
What we’re saying is this: use your head. Check your sources. Always strive to be a part of the solution, not just a sheep in the flock. The reason we want you to see so much of the world, through our eyes and hopefully yours when you’re ready and able, is the fact that the more you see, the more you’ll know there ain’t no difference in any of us. Well, except the ones put there by folks who have something to gain through our division.
And frankly, I am outta time for any and all o’ that. I am too tired, too sore, too angry for all o’ that mess. If you never leave your living room, you’ll never know how much malarkey the world’ll try to sell you for the sake of a dollar. But if you get out there and see it for yourselves, you’ll realize immediately that we’re here to have a good time, and some of the best times are spent seeing how others get along in their part of the planet. Life’s more fun with friends. And it’s bonus if they’re not carbon copies of the person you always thought you were.
Love y’all. Stay safe. AND WASH YER HANDS!
COVID-19 RESOURCES
Newsweek: Young and Unafraid of the Coronavirus Pandemic? Good for You. Now Stop Killing People
Washington Post: Why Outbreaks Like Coronavirus Spread Exponentially, and How to “Flatten the Curve”
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