Team Double Vaxxed: Time to Join the Cool Club

As of 9:35am today, I have been initiated as member of Team Double Vaxxed. I know the big thing right now is to not encroach of people's freedoms or push your own agenda -- and to be completely fair, I prefer that then the toxic and hostile ripping into those that disagree that seems to have defined the past 18 months plus -- BUT please be a cool kid and at least seriously consider getting your vaccination if you're medically able, so we can really open up for good and make all this fodder for the history books.

Pretty please.

I'll even throw in a cherry and sprinkles. And a cookie. 

My soul is soaring with the prospect of actually getting together with friends and having a big gathering with those that I love. I'm ecstatic that movie theatres are about this open this weekend in Ontario and the idea of being able to leave the house with entertainment option is glorious. It would be super awesome cool as can be if everything can stay open and a fourth wave doesn't come pissing all over the steps taken to reopen again. I really would like this one to stick.

When I got my first shot back in May, I decided to go for a walk by some nearby trails. While I soaked up the beauty of nature, I was nailed with how magnificent and wonderful this world can be. It was nice going on a nature trail away from the toxicity of social media and not being reminded by all the restrictions that existed at the time. On that quiet trail in the early morning, I was free and full of peace, and everything else going on the world was far removed for that precious hour. Everyone I met on the trail was happy and friendly, even the fox I met was polite.

It was reminder that I can choose how I behave and feel. It is in my power to decide how my life is spent and how I allow it to affect me. While surrounded by towering trees, fresh air and wondrous wildlife, I was committed to being joyous and grateful. My mission become trying my darnedest to spread those feelings to others by showing kindness, compassion, empathy, humility and love. 

While I am not deluded to claim that these 18 months haven't been incredibly hard, because I've honestly shared those challenges on this site where my career was devastated by it and I've wrestled with some severe depression and anxiety during this time. But even during a flaming trash fire, you can uncover some gems or priceless heirlooms. 

It was due to Covid that I was able to go as a family to Medeba on four occasions and share one of the most important places in my life with my kids. It was due to Covid that I got to see my children overcome massive challenges like learning to bike and be able to share the victory with them. The kids being home for most of the year was very tough on my career, but it was also extra family time that I never knew I'd have again and I got to be involved firsthand in my kids' education where I got to share their excitements and discoveries. I choose to focus on those wondrous moments and seek ways to constantly discover more.

Of course, one of the challenges of trying to focus on being positive is that being confrontational and controversial is what often drives the readers. Many successful bloggers seem to dial up the crankiness and actively seek out things to tear down or complain about. I'm not interested in being the asshole writer in order to grow my audience, but I am also well aware that being raw and brutally honest triggers the best type of writing. My deepest desire is to craft engaging writing and grow an audience with writing that is authentic and sincere, but also guided with optimism, hope and empathy. I like to believe there is a place for that amongst all the insults and 'ownage' that dominates parts of the internet and social media.

But. . . with the risk of furthering the debate that I'm so bored and uninterested in stoking, could you pretty please get double vaxxed or at least seriously consider it if you have not done such things. I hear a lot moaning and complaining about restrictions and lockdowns, but the simple fact is the best way to achieve herd immunity that will eliminate the need for major restrictions is for as many eligible people as possible to get vaccinated. That is it. That is the option. That is how this all become ancient history.

The Covid case numbers are way down in Ontario. and while part of that can be credited to the warmer weather and the lockdowns just like last summer, but another huge piece is people are getting vaccinated. Please check out reputable sources and you'll see that is what the data and stats support. If you want another justification for my push towards Team Double Vaxxed, the regions where vaccinated people numbers are low is where the Covid cases are rising. Funny coincidence, eh?

I believe that I have shared this before or maybe this has been reserved for the excitement that is Facebook interactions, but I have a few doctors in my family and other various medical professionals in my closer social circles. Every single one of them have shared that for a large portion of these past 18 months that the ER was a war zone and it sure as hell was more dangerous and putting on a greater strain on hospitals than the flu, despite what some conservative right-wing propaganda rags tried to push. 

Actually, one of the emergency doctors in my family is very much a conservative and disagrees with me quite often when it comes with politics, so he is not about to push some mighty liberal agenda. Yet, he is the one that has been the most pro-restrictions and pushing the vaccine the hardest because he has been firsthand trying to save the lives of Covid patients that are even younger than him. It is real. It is not a hoax. 

Vaccines are the reason that we don't worry about smallpox or the measles or polio in modern society. Vaccines work. Growing up in a family with doctors, I never once doubted or was fearful of vaccines. Science is good. People who are good at the science thing and are experts at their job have been responsible for the vaccines. Vaccines are healthier than Covid that has killed people younger and healthier than me.

Of course, the hospitals now are under control again and ER workers lives are a little less stressful and the case numbers are way down, and a lot of that is due to people getting vaccinated and there is a lot of evidence to support that. I also know that if you're an anit-vaxxer or a Covid hoaxer or whatever your reason for not taking the vaccine that this blog post isn't going to persuade you. You've had lots of time to read and watch things from credible sources and experts. I hope you consider joining Team Double Vaxxed, especially if you're someone that has spent 18 months whining about the lockdowns, because this is the only way to ensure things stay open and rocking.

I'm not really interested in debating because at this point it is just two people who know 'that they're right' are spewing things at each other with great passion. I don't have time to just spin around in circles.

But I am now on Team Double Vaxxed. I am happy about this. I am excited for the Covid case numbers to continue to plummet and then for them to stay down. I am ready for things to open up. I think, this year has lot to be grateful and joyous about, but I am also ready for an even better second of half 2021 and beyond.