Vaccination Possible

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Oh my good lord!

We’re living through a pandemic!

There’s a deadly, mutating virus in the world, that we don’t have a cure for!

When is it going to end?

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I wish I believed the pandemic was a fib. 

I wish I had the comfort of believing that the pandemic was a pre-meditated plot by the rich and the powerful.  It must be nice to believe that there is a plan, with a motive, a beginning, and an end to this story.  It must be wonderful to imagine that some god-like, omniscient people have control over the chaos, and are able to keep the secret, a secret.  I can’t even keep what I’m watching on Netflix a secret, but the people who orchestrated this plague fiction, aren’t telling a soul. 

It’s the best kept secret in history.

I’m tired of defending my opinions about this pandemic. 

I’m tired of my own insipid, squalid, selfishness that will find reliable sources to support my unconscious bias.  I’m tired of never-ending imaginary conversations I have with my enemies, where I eternally reconstruct sentences I would have said.

I’m tired of frozen Zoom heads and our exaggerated online personas.  I’m tired of being late for Teams because I’ve lost the links, and I’m tired of the vulnerability of my public private life.

I’m also angry.

I’m angry with the people who can’t queue or follow signs properly.  I’m angry at people who point out my misdemeanours when I forget the new rules of society.  I’m angry with two of my neighbours who leave their cigarette butts on the floor outside the main entrance to the building, and I spend a lot of time imagining the harsh note I intend to write to them.

I’m angry with the politicians who are still unable to find creative solutions to this dilemma. I’m angry about the square kilometres of empty office and retail space, that we need to do something interesting with, before the rats move in.

I’m exhausted from complaining about all the new dog shit that has appeared on the streets of Dublin.  I’m wrecked from feeling guilty about complaining in the first place, because in comparison with so many others, I have nothing to be cross about. 

I’m so tired and angry and guilty, that I recently found Adam Curtis’ new 8-hour documentary uplifting and positive.  Actually, “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” does have some great things to say and particularly in Episode Six.  Curtis ends the whole show with a quote from the anarchist and anthropologist, David Graeber, who says that “the ultimate hidden truth of the world is that it is something we make and could just as easily make differently” and I needed to be reminded of that, this week. 

If we wanted to, we could make it all differently.  We could radically change the education system, the public housing system, the health system and find some solutions to the climate crisis. If we wanted to, we could do it all differently, it’s simply a matter of choice. 

This week they opened the new Vaccination Centre at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.  As far as we know, humans have always shared this planet with viruses, and this particular virus isn’t more evil or cleverer than others.  It’s just doing what viruses do.  We have made it easier for it to spread, but that’s not its fault.  In response, we humans have manufactured a vaccine to help us survive, and I think that’s something to be pleased about.  I don’t understand chemistry, so for me it’s almost magical that we now have something to protect us.  All those who believe the pandemic is a tall tale, can encourage their loved ones not to take the vaccine if they want to, but I honestly hope that they don’t.

Dolly Parton got her vaccine this week, in Nashville, Tennessee.  She looked like a million dollars and she sang a song for all her fans. 

She sang:

“Vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, I’m begging of you, please don’t hesitate”.

If that isn’t something to smile about, I don’t know what is.