Slight Detour: "Seens" and Such

These turkeys heard the vaccine was coming, so they were on their way to get in line.

Well, maybe not really, but they certainly appear to be on a mission.

Speaking of those vaccinations, I'm going to have to quit watching evening news.

I don't understand why each evening addition has to show all those shots in the arm, especially the close-ups where we can clearly see the size of the needle and how far it goes into the arm.

I cringe and look away almost every time. Sometimes I make myself watch, trying to train my brain that this poke in the arm really isn't as bad or painful as it looks.

It's been a lifelong phobia, the thought of and the sight of shots.

I've lived through all of them and do remember during my first childbirth happily announcing to "bring it on."

There comes a point where one element of pain is a whole lot worse than another.

Still, I just can't stand watching those scenes on TV. Every time I cringe more than usual, Bill reminds me that we'll be seeing this on the evening news for months.

All that said, I'm viewing vaccination day much like the time almost a village had to convince me that I would live through a ride in a hot-air balloon.

My phobiac behavior extends to heights too. That's why you'll never see me riding the chair lift at Schweitzer, and, unless I hike up the mountain, I'm probably never going to see the inside of that restaurant on top.

With the hot-air balloon experience in Phoenix, it took a lot of convincing from my sisters and the staff, but I finally relented.

The outcome turned out to be an experience I'll never forget and that I actually loved as long as I didn't look down for very long.

Overcoming fear truly is one of the great achievements in life for some of us, and every time we do so, we create a vivid memory and add another layer of self confidence to embolden us the next time we face such challenges.

Getting myself geared up mentally for two shots in the arm is gonna be a challenge, but this scaredy cat will meet that challenge, with the knowledge of that old cliche----no pain no gain.

By the time that happens, we may be approaching a year's time of readjustment of our lives for the benefit of ourselves and for others.

Imagining a time when we can return to socializing and traveling and embracing friends and family will be worth the nervousness associated with those vaccinations and whatever pain goes along with each.

So, I resolve to be brave. Seeing comments like those below from Dr. Jennifer Hunt, a Sandpoint High grad, is also helpful.

She serves not only as a frontline medical worker, but she's also a very credible cheerleader for what's to come in getting this Pandemic under control.

This.

I am a physician and I can’t wait to get my covid19 vaccine. I have looked at the data and feel completely comfortable with the safety and the efficacy (which are actually amazing).

But, since I am not on the front line, I do not have anymore risk than the general public of getting covid. So you won’t see a picture of me getting my shot until the priority schedule makes its way to me.

I’ll be patiently waiting. And cheering. as I see each one of my ICU, emergency medicine, covid testing techs and lab staff, and other frontline friends with their proud pictures of getting this historic vaccine.

If you are offered the vaccine because you are in a priority group, I hope you’ll accept it with gratitude.

And maybe even silently thank the hundreds of thousands of scientists, doctors, technical staff, and volunteers who brought us hope in the form of tony bottles of this precious vaccine.

Thank you so much for your good works and your message, Jennifer.

As for me, I'm gonna work on courage for when my place in the vaccination line comes.

Maybe I'll just pretend I'm floating around in a beautiful hot air balloon.

Nonetheless, I don't think I'm ever going to enjoy watching the vaccination portion of the evening news.

A small price to pay, though, for such a monumental result.

Meanwhile, locally, we all need to be much more careful than ever here in Bonner County.

My friend sent me the following graph yesterday, which indicates a very disturbing trend with local Covid outbreaks.