I was a conspiracy theorist, too [View all]
I know why people turn to conspiracy theories in uncertain times. I did the same when my husband had a brain tumor.
It was October 2005 when my husband Mike called me with the news. I was working on my dissertation in my home office, and he had just received the call from his ophthalmologist.
I have a brain tumor. Its called a craniopharyngioma. Its a benign tumor near the pituitary gland.
Benign is a misnomer for the tumor in his midbrain that would ultimately rob my smart, improv comedian, graphic designer husband of not only his vision but his short-term memory and his ability to care for himself over the following nine months.
In the early days of the diagnosis, I was debilitated by grief and anxiety. One night, I wept at dinner. Its not fair, I remember repeating.
He calmly responded, Who would it be fair for, though? Would it be fair if I were old? Would it be fair if we did not have a baby? It has nothing to do with what is fair, Danna. It is just random.
It is just random. These words were not comforting to me. They made me angry.
https://www.vox.com/first-person/2020/5/15/21258855/coronavirus-covid-19-conspiracy-theories-cancer
A lot more at the link.