Book 2 Post 1

For my book 2, I chose to read Our Malady: Lessons in Liberty from a Hospital Diary by Timothy Snyder. Overall, the book is a reflective diary from the author, who suddenly fell gravely ill and had to wait for hours in an emergency room before even getting the chance to be correctly diagnosed and sent into surgery. During his experiences barely holding onto his life, he realized and reflected upon the value of health in America, as well as its sheer fragility and how his near-death hospital experience taught him what important lessons we need to know to survive in this world well. In light of the pandemic, I really wanted to read this, as I feel like my belief in the American healthcare system severely dwindled over the past year and along with it, my philosophies on my own health, wellness, and mortality in this world (not to get dark, haha).

After reading the first few chapters, my reflection on COVID-19 and the American healthcare only increased. Unlike some of my friends, I think I've still yet to 100% come to terms with human mortality, and before COVID-19, I think I lived a relatively carefree life, staying active and eating well and supporting having a good time, but the moment the pandemic hit, I was forced to evaluate my life in the grand scheme of the world. I think at the start of the pandemic, there was a small part of me that was upset at the state of the world, but that quickly shifted to anger at those who refused to wear masks, social distance, and just in general be a more considerate citizen. The evidence was there--people were getting sick and dying from COVID-19--and the impact was there as well--ICUs across the country were over capacity, mass graves were being used, and the numbers kept rising. For the people who were concerned about their own freedom being infringed on through mask-wearing and social distancing mandates, I feel like there was a lack of self-awareness among the privileged who fell in this group, as they knew that even if they got the coronavirus, they would most likely be okay because they have access to healthcare and can afford a good insurance policy. In reality, this healthcare system that they use as their safety net was failing so many others, and I think overall, COVID-19 brings a great opportunity for us to reevaluate the structure of our healthcare system and the value of health as a right.