My Grandmother { who went to Heaven during the pre-vaccine days of COVID} and my Uncle. I come from tough stock Photo credit unknown.
Brian and I returned from our wonderful trip to the North Carolina mountains to find Florida among the states that are overrun with COVID19 patients. Unlike last summer's wave, the majority of people catching the virus are younger & UNVACCINATED adults. Additionally, this particular variant is harder on children & younger adults . Thirdly, this strain CAN " break through" and infect those of us who are vaccinated. I know some people who caught it in spite of vaccination, and they report milder symptoms.
Brian says that I always return from vacation in somewhat of a funk. This time, I dreaded coming back to Florida, knowing that my state is among the worst of the unvaccinated cases flooding hospitals. Knowing that our Governor plans for " business as usual here in the Sunshine State, Brian & I are masking up every damn time we are indoors with people whose status we do not know.
I hate the damn masks. Furthermore, I resent the fact that the poor, selfish choices of the Unvaccinated are forcing myself & others to take two steps back and cover our faces { in the heat of a Florida summer, too. Damn! }
We are also choosing to stay home more, as we don't want to catch nor spread the virus & it is too hot & humid in Florida to make masked outdoor gatherings enjoyable.
I'm FURIOUS. But I am not broken.
COVID { or "La Rona" as some people like to personify the virus} did not beat me the first round. While my household remained free from the unwelcome pest, its effects were { and still are} felt from the " Covid year" of 2020. Everyone sacrificed, and I rejoiced when the vaccine rolled out early in 2021.
My dear Grandmother died in December of last year, and thanks to the unavailability of vaccines for the general public at that time, Florida & Atlanta McCarrens were grounded from flying to Pittsburgh. Thankfully, one of the cousins attended the Mass & Zoomed the event from her phone, but that let me with no real closure. Through no fault of our own, the southern branch of the McCarren family were grounded in Florida & Atlanta. Out of caution & care for ourselves & others, we elected to stay home and stay safe from a virus that we could transmit to others without feeling ill.
We willingly sacrificed our own spiritual/mental health needs to keep our community safer.
Now, we must once again mask, clean and stay away from people. The big difference is that this time , people who CHOSE to not receive a FREE vaccine are who are crowding our hospital beds & making some vaccinated people sick.
"Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility. For the person who is unwilling to grow up, the person who does not want to carry his own weight, this is a frightening prospect."
Yup. Some of us used our freedom to act responsible & receive our shots. We know that the wellness of the entire human species requires us to put our fears and POLITICS aside & get vaccinated against this killer.
Y'all, I am sick and tired of being PUNISHED for others ' poor choices. In the United Sates, there are no consequences for adults who choose to play Russian Roulette with others' lives. They are allowed to live " normal" lives while spreading death and disability to others.
This COVID wave has bent and shaken me. But I am not broken.
Get the damn shots!
~Sarah McCarren
27 July 2021
Amen! Roll the dice with your own lives if you see fit, but your freedom to do so ENDS at the precise point at which you restrict someone else's freedom to choose their own course in life, or put their health andsafety in jeopardy. Period, the end, amen. This shouldn't even be a discussion, but here we are, and Sarah articulated the problem with great accuracy.
ReplyDeleteGrow up, America. Freedom without responsibility is selfish immaturity.
Shelley, thanks for the comment. I am tired of people choosing politics over responsible citizenship.
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