PLAY IT FORWARD
Right now on July 24, 2021, there are so many people who seem not concerned about the COVID 19 variant. The uptick in cases, hospitalizations and deaths does not seem to bother them. I am not here to judge. I am here to write my blog on what we are choosing to do.
We have been vaccinated. I can't understand those who made the decision not to. Science does say that even those who think or tested that they had it need to get vaccinated. Everyone has a choice. Now, it seems with this new variant growing it is attacking those who have not been vaccinated in a very bad way. Those who have been vaccinated are getting it from those who chose not to. The only good news is that if you are vaccinated you usually have a very mild case of symptoms unless you have deep autoimmune issues.
All of that aside, to stay safe and sane, there is a little chart that I make up to help me look ahead when this is not an issue. I call it 'Play It Forward.' It has all of the things that I want to do with my husband once more people finally go for their vaccination so that this virus can slow down and make it safe again.
I so want to go to a live concert. Several are coming up in our area and from what I see, there are mobs of people going, whether they are inside or outside. There is no social distancing and no (or very few) masks being worn. It is sort of like the song you throw your hands up in the air and act like you just don't care. I can't do that. So meanwhile, I will wait until it is much safer to go and see some concerts that I really want to see. Such as:
Brad Paisley
James Taylor
Another interest of mine is to actually go inside a movie theater or a venue to see a play. With no social distancing, I make my choice to stay away.
I really do not want someone climbing over me to get to their seat, much less sitting shoulder to shoulder with someone I do not know, whether they have been vaccinated and are wearing a mask.
Ahhhh, to travel again. To places we have been before and to new places. We have precious family in New Orleans but now is not the time to go there. I respect their choices and they respect ours. I can't imagine getting on a plane or taking a cruise at this time. Some of the 'hot spots' for Covid right now is Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri and Tennessee. Yet friends are taking their families down to the beach. They may get it? They may not get it? It seems like a game of Russian roulette to me. We all make our choices.
Even more so than this kind of holiday, I am missing going inside of restaurants to have a date night with my one and only. We both do get out together and with friends to eat outside under a covered patio with fans going full speed ahead in the heat of the summer. Plus, just like us, our friends are vaccinated. This is their choice also. There actually are some places that are asking customers to show their vaccination cards before being admitted in to eat or drink. It may actually come down to that.
Most of all, I miss having our whole extended family in one house (usually ours) for a family celebration. Whether it be birthdays, Thanksgiving or Christmas. I can hang on to that hope that maybe it will be this year?
Planning it in my head and being grateful for what we can do, accepting what we can't, helps me play it forward.
If we all pay it forward and care for one another, we can all happily play it forward and get on with our lives in a healthy way. Just as we were getting used to some kind of normalcy in not having to wear our masks so often, for now, stores and soon other places will be going back to a wear masks and social distancing. Wouldn't it be nice if we had the times back where we all could feel safe and not have friends who have been vaccinated come down with the variant due to those who decided not to be vaccinated (or possibly even ourselves?)