Like it or not, COVID has been a part of our lives now for over a year. We have all been affected by it, some more than others. Divided as we are as a Nation, the fact is, none of us have come out of this unscathed. It is something we all have in common, to one degree or another.
Some of us have lost jobs, others have lost businesses. Some have paid the ultimate cost: they have lost their very lives. Thousands upon thousands of people have lost someone to the disease. Others have narrowly escaped death. While I have not lost anyone close to me, my daughter and my best friend both had COVID.
I could talk about all the political controversy surrounding the disease: where it started and how, whose fault it is, how many people have actually died. But I'd rather not. I am willing to discuss this privately, one-on-one, but my writing is not typically political in nature and I'd like to keep it that way. For now.
What I would like to discuss is how the disease has turned a lot of us into more judgmental beings than we had been before. There are those who are mask police: they give a scowl if you are not wearing one or, the horrors, are wearing one incorrectly. I would venture a guess that all of us have been on BOTH sides of this coin. We have been the haves and the have nots, so to speak.
Then, of course, there are the people who have stayed home at all costs and the people who have continued to live their lives, to some degree. People who go to stores versus having groceries delivered and those who have taken vacations versus those who have not. I remember one Facebook friend posting pictures from her Caribbean trip, prefacing her post with "Please don't judge me." Even the fact that someone should have to say this is a commentary on how sad things have become.
About a month ago I had the opportunity to get the vaccine. I took a Facebook poll, asking who had gotten it, which one (Pfizer or Moderna) and what side effects, if any, had been experienced. So many friends responded, for which I am grateful. Most people love to be asked questions about their experiences, I have found.
But I had one "friend," someone I have known for most of my life, who ranted on and on about how bad the vaccine was, eventually calling me an "idiot" for deleting his negative comments. I will put up with a lot, but I will not be emotionally abused on my own Facebook wall. I immediately blocked him. He will no longer be able to see what I post or make disparaging comments about me ever again.
I got the vaccine, even though I was anxious about it. And Thursday I received my second dose. For weeks, I prayed -- and had others pray -- that I would not suffer extreme reactions to the second dose. I had heard, after all, the horror stories and really didn't fancy myself wanting to be part of them. I went into it with cautious optimism, knowing that God could spare me from getting sick, but also fully aware he may not.
I wanted to post on Facebook prior to the second shot and I wanted to post after I got it. But I didn't. Why? Because I did not want judgment or condemnation or anyone else's opinion on the matter.
It is very sad that things have come to this, I think. We live in a society where people are afraid to say or do anything, for fear of being canceled. Well, I am not planning on being the next contestant on The Bachelor and I really don't care if I am canceled or not. Those who love me will be there, no matter what. They may not agree with me (right now I can think of at least three people who I care about that are opposed to the vaccine), but guess what? They don't have to. They can be them and I can be me. And somehow we will all, Lord willing, wake to see the sun rise tomorrow morning. I don't know about you, but I've got much bigger fish to fry. And a whole lot of living to catch up on.
In case you are dying of curiosity, I felt sicker than a dog the day after, but now I feel great, back to normal. I am so grateful. It is true what they say: if you have your health, you have everything.
Was it a mistake to get the vaccine? I don't know. Only time will tell. If it was, millions of people made the same one, desiring to be healthy and desiring to be with loved ones again. I know several people who got the shot so they could be with elderly parents again. I am hoping I can do the same with my mom very soon. All I know is the opportunity presented itself, I work in healthcare and spend a lot of time in hospitals and I travel frequently. For me, it was the right thing to do. If it's not for you, fine. I will not be out there trying to force people to get it so please don't try to make me feel guilty for getting it.
There. I feel better that I finally got that off my chest. Don't you?