I don’t think people should judge.

I don’t think people who don’t want the vaccine should judge those who do.

I don’t think people who do want the vaccine should judge those who don’t.

I understand both sides of this equation. As I started talking about possible vaccine issues almost a year ago, I have really thought this one out.

I believe in vaccinations for diseases that can be eradicated.

Vaccines for flu, etc. not so much. No flu shots. No pneumonia shots.

But that’s me…

When it came to COVID- a worldwide phenomena- I decided to err on the side of caution and made the decision to become vaccinated when I was eligible.

My Husband and Daughter also chose this route. Her University announced last week that the vaccination will be required for all those returning to campus in the fall. We were not surprised at all.

My Mother is against the vaccine. I will not argue this with her. I will not tell her she’s wrong. I will not guilt her. This is her opinion.

What I don’t like are the Facebook things she keeps sending to my Facebook messenger acount.

Yesterday, she sent a video of some Doctor. Her message to me was:

I pray you watch this

Let’s start with the basics. I received my first shot four weeks ago, my second yesterday.

I can’t eliminate the vaccine from my body. There is a no return policy with the vaccine. You own it for life. To send me this is irrational. It’s a done deal.

To give the people you love grief about something they’ve done is just not right.

To make someone feel guilty about a choice that they have made is wrong on so many levels.

So my message to you all is simple:

Don’t judge.

Don’t make people feel guilty.

The past year has been tough. Don’t make it tougher with words and videos.

95 thoughts on “Anything Can Happen Friday- MYOB”

  2. Wow!! I was so much wanting to hear this. After losing my mom last year and all elders telling me every day that I have not done enough was choking me. Thank you so much for letting me know I can be proud of my choices. My choice to heal myself before helping others. Love and congratulations on your choice.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  4. Don’t push your opinion on everyone. State your position and let it go. You can’t change their mind, nor can they change yours. Social media is the bane of my existence sometimes, with friends posting things just to get a rise out of someone, anyone. I’ve had both shots, and have several friends and family who refuse to. I don’t understand, but I don’t have to. I have enough to deal with just being me without trying to run everyone else’s life.

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

    1. That’s just it! It’s hard enough running my own life!! Why would I want to tell someone else what to do? I mean…I do try to tell everyone what to do because I’m always right…but really😉

      Like

      Reply

      1. If they are not smart enough to take your expert advice, that’s on them😁 Most people are pushing an agenda when they get on social media and act like this. Mostly I just ignore them…or snooze/unfollow. You’d be amazed who and how many people no longer appear on my feed because of things they’ve posted in the past year!

        Liked by 1 person

  5. You know I’m with you on this. When this pandemic began a year ago March I promised myself that I’d not judge how anyone handled it– as long as they didn’t spread the virus to me. I have spent most of the last 13 months with a clenched jaw, but I have minded my own business.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. I need to myob. Everyone has feelings about it. I’m just trying to get to tomorrow. I don’t need to interfere or be interfered with. It’s been hard enough as is

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  6. I judge my fellow health care workers who won’t get the flu shot or COVID-19 vaccine.

    There is some really outrageous misinformation out there about the vaccines—I judge people in RL who I hear spreading the misinformation.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  7. I feel strongly about my children getting vaccinated against the usual; I have a neighbor who has come full circle against them. Why? Her child reacted and now has seizures. She feels very strongly inspired to not vaccinate anymore.

    Like you said, how do you know? She has plenty of busybodies sending her facts and research. She’s, honestly, an incredibly intelligent, well-researched, faithful person. She’s patient.

    I appreciate that you recognize the importance of respecting positions, which I don’t always remember to do.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. It becomes so easy to think that there is only one answer, one way to do things. But the truth is, none of knows anything with any certainty. And for every opinion, there is an opposite opinion. Every fact will have something contradict it. Let’s face it…not one of us is omnipotent or omniscient. It’s hard enough figuring out your own life…why try to figure someone else’s out?

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  8. So I will admit to being judgey yesterday for sure. Sitting in a socially distanced medical office with a range of people of all ages and an older gentleman enters with the characteristic mask over the mouth but not the nose situation. Not one staff member asked him to wear the thing properly. He can be vaccinated or not, just please wear your mask correctly!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

      1. Haha! I find that completely acceptable. This guy was literally across from me and I had nowhere else to look/go. Was really surprised the medical staff didn’t say something.

        Liked by 1 person

  9. On this specific thing, I’m going to disagree. If it were just a difference of opinion that didn’t effect people living or dying, I’d agree. It is more the utter lack of care and consideration the anti-vax crowd has for their fellow man than anything, but that almost cannot be separated from judgement. I’m not talking about those that have a real, legitimate reason for not being able to get a vaccine. I’m talking the ones that refuse for reasons based on junk science, conspiracy theories or even outright lies. Just like I’m going to be judgemental of someone that got in a car drunk and harmed another, I’m going to be judgemental of someone that refuses to get a vaccine when they are capable of doing so gets sick and causes someone that couldn’t get one for serious medical reasons to also get sick and die. I’m also going to tell the family member that refuses to get one that I won’t spend any in person time with the family until they are vaccinated. We are now in a position as a family where we will potentially be exposing a much higher risk human that is not in a position to be able to protect themselves, so we have to do what we can to be that wall of protection for her.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. If I thought the vaccine was 100% safe and effective I would agree. But could you imagine guilting someone into taking the vaccine and they got Johnson and Johnson? Or my neighbors sister who is in the hospital fully vaccinated, no COVID but has a reaction caused by the vaccine? Nothing is safe, and safe means something different to everyone. I’ll agree to disagree on this one

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

      1. No vaccine is 100% safe, yet we still get them for our kids so they can go to school. These vaccines are within normal safety tolerances. Nothing in life is ever 100% safe for 100% of the people, yet there are still things that, as a society, we need to do to prevent a catastrophic hit to the population. Or in this case, an even bigger one than has already occurred.

        Liked by 1 person

  14. I am done with people who refuse to accept science-based evidence. No vaccine is 100% effective, but the goal is to keep us out of the hospital. The whole goal of lockdowns is to prevent overwhelming the healthcare system. Right now India is spiking and they have no ICU beds and a bottled oxygen shortage. I read a story about the hell of a man racing around India with his sick father trying to find an ICU bed and oxygen. That is what we are trying to avoid with masks, social distancing and vaccines. We aren’t taking people’s freedom. We are trying to keep everyone safe. How did we eradicate polio, smallpox, mumps, whooping cough, measles, etc? Through vaccinations. I started getting a flu shot a couple of years ago just so if I did get it, it wouldn’t be too bad. That’s my same expectation with the Covid vaccine – just mitigating my risk. Ok my rant is done.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. I don’t like judging. It means I think I know better than someone else. The only thing I’m sure of is that I know nothing. I respect your viewpoint but I’ll agree to disagree

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  16. I see both sides, I’m vaccinated as an educator, but I would have chosen to get the vaccine even if my school didn’t highly recommend getting vaccinated before going back to the classroom (back on campus on Monday). I think the benefits outweigh the risks and that was my decision model. Hope your reaction is mild LA and those messages from Mom are deletable. C

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  17. I try not to judge but I bet those people who refuse to get flu shots or the Covid vaccine have never had a loved one who has died from it. Their opinions would change very quickly if they did. This no not me attitude doesn’t fly. Why do you want to put your health or someone else’s at risk. Sorry, but that is just plan selfish, only thinking of yourself.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. You can also think of it as someone whose child has had a seizure due to a vaccine. Or those with autoimmune diseases could die from it. I don’t walk in anyone’s shoes but my own. What if we all get sick from the vaccine? It’s still emergency and one of the vaccines was already taken off the market. My neighbors sister is still in icu because of a reaction to the vaccine. Both are risks

      Like

      Reply

      1. NO medications are without risk. In fact you risk your life the minute you step out the door everyday. Does that mean you aren’t ever going to anywhere because of it? No, that would be silly. The biggest issue at hand is no one likes to be told they must do something.

        Liked by 1 person

      4. Completely. These are things that are ongoing and getting worse. More of my neighbors have been harassed by people under the influence, followed, pushed out if the way etc. that’s what I fear when I leave my apartment …some stupid drunk/high person

        Like

  18. Oh, that’s tough. You make a great point about not judging. I struggle with judgment with my mom too but sometimes I think that was only power that generation of women had for the most part.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  19. What da ya think? Think there are such thing as intellectual virtues. And if you think there are, just what would these intellectual virtues be? Could or should they include these provided by a quick search… intellectual responsibility, perseverance, open-mindedness, empathy, integrity, intellectual courage, confidence in reason, love of truth, intellectual humility, imaginativeness, curiosity, fair-mindedness, and autonomy.

    “Intellectual virtues have a significant impact on the quality of our beliefs and in doing so make an important contribution to the moral status of our actions. … In short, to live well, we need to believe well, and intellectual virtues put us in a position to do just that” (Montmarquet 1993).

    And that “moral status of our actions,” makes intellectual virtues a sorta step-child of empirical understandings. Even makes me a bit queasy.

    But hey, being but a poor autodidact, I just say, I won’t judge if you can articulate, even haltingly, the why of your understandings and beliefs.

    A just because of, or that’s just how I feel, or some such and such said so, just doesn’t seem sufficient in the mist of a global pandemic.

    And just in case if you didn’t notice LA, yes the Cubs swept the Mets last night.

    Peace

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. The people I know who don’t like the vaccine (and I fully admit that the list who don’t is way shorter than those that do) have a lot more to their side as far as their facts and evidence. Most site that the vaccine is still experimental and it’s being used under emergency provision. Then they go into their list of medical professionals that have the same beliefs as them. I think we have to carefully consider telling people what is best for them. That thinking has caused a lot of problems in the past…I don’t like the idea of just following orders and telling on your neighbor and separating one group from another. Slippery slope.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  20. 340,000 positive infections in India today, lots of mass cremation videos on the www, I know a Paramedic who has health issues that will last a lifetime………… gotta get vaccinated LA 🙂 just sayin ❤ .

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      1. I know. But I refuse to tell other people what to do. I won’t judge other people. Too much just following orders and telling in your neighbors. I don’t like it

        Liked by 2 people

      1. “The bigger the lie the more people will believe it” #Joseph Goebbels……….. I guess time will whether Government and Drug Companies told us the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

        Liked by 1 person

  21. I agree. Last summer I quit logging on to Facebook because I’m so sick of everyone’s opinions on the pandemic. People seem to be more intolerant these days. My partner’s aunt continually sends us both anti-vaccine videos even though we disagree with her. It’s a personal decision and no one has the right to shame others for thinking differently.

    Like

    Reply

  22. I agree with you 100% on this one. Like you, I don’t take the other vaccines, but I felt like this is one we should go for. I’m still not happy that it’s experimental and only approved for emergency use, but what are we going to do? My entire family is in agreement except for my youngest son. It’s not that he’s against it, but has had severe reactions to other vaccines, He feels being in his 20s even if he gets it is less of a risk to him than the vaccine might be.

    The thing that gets me is most who are anti vax are the same ones who were anti maskers and just doing it for stupid political reasons.

    I’m sorry your mom sent you that video. Like you said, you can’t give it back now even if the video changed you mind.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. My couple of friends anti the vaccine are a parent of a kid with autism, someone whose entire family had COVID and they barely had symptoms, someone with autoimmune disease, and one totally political. And thank you….parents sometimes…

      Like

      Reply

  26. You know I agree. In general, I just think we need to let many things go. I will blog about this soon, well, like during the summer lol

    I’m pretty tired of us all deciding what everyone should do in the name of “fill-in-the-blank-reason.”

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  27. What I can’t stand is when someone says they’re going to be vaccinated on FB, and people start writing in, “Don’t do it.” Everyone should do what they want to in their heart and not have to put up with this unwanted feedback.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. It’s no ones business what you do and don’t do. What’s right for me might not be right for someone else. No one group has the moral or ethical high ground here.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  30. I’m tired of going on Facebook to check the local news and every time there is a (neutral) article about COVID stats in the area there’s a whole list full of comments from the anti-vaxers. To me they seem the more vocal of the two groups in forcing their opinions on people. I don’t see too many pro-vaccine people continuously preaching like that. Do these people have nothing better to do? Do they actually think they are going to sway anyone’s opinion? I think by this time everyone’s mind would be made up. And then this morning, there’s a picture of some long haired creepy hippy guy with a “Say no to the prick” t-shirt (which he sells online) arrested at the city hall spouting off about his rights.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Oh..I see a lot of pro vax people saying that those that don’t are stupid. I see both sides of this issue, which is why I no longer have any friends on Facebook, and why I wrote it. There are opinions and beliefs. One you can discuss, the other you can’t. It all comes down to which camp someone has chosen to put a theory

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. I guess I don’t see as many pro-vac preachy people here as 80% of Canadians say they want the vaccine, so the nayers are more of a minority here, but seem to be more vocal.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. To be fair, most people I know are pro vax…but they don’t understand at all those who are anti. Neither side wants to listen…each side thinks the6 have the moral highground

        Liked by 1 person

  32. Again I return to expected risk vs expected reward on this decision. If one does or does not I certainly think the action one takes or does not take should be shared with others with whom that one comes in contact i.e. close proximity in an enclosed space.

    When making the decision to jab or not to jab I will add my late father’s words of wisdom (which won’t make the decision any easier) “Figures don’t lie but liars figure” along with (surprisingly) one from my mom “Consider the source.”

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

Gravatar
WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Cancel

Connecting to %s