My Fifth Pfizer Shot

[Briar Lee]

In court on Wednesday there was a lawyer friend of mine who has had a lung transplant. He was off in a corner, wearing an N95 mask and plastic gloves, and I spoke to him, as I always do.

He asked, if I had my latest shot, and I hung my head in shame. I promised him I would, and on Friday I got my fifth Pfizer shot, along with a flu shot.

I also got my tires rotated and balanced Friday, and the garage said they sealed up two against the rims, and they were about 1/3 tread. Next oil change I’ll replace those tires.

By the Lord’s indulgence I’ve so far got away with a half century of smoking tobacco slick and clean.

I’d hate to leave my wife a widow, and some other man enjoy my farm and my toys and all I hold dear, because I didn’t get my shots or have my vehicles checked.

I’m supposed to get my shots and check my vehicles for the other guy, but I do it, because the ass it saves might be mine.

I want to see the grass seed grow, my Amish renter is planting on the first snow, and other things, you know?

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I have zero shots but have no issue with those who decided differently.

 

[Servant King]

I have zero shots but have no issue with those who decided differently.

Ditto.

I do maintain my tires diligently, though, as well as the car in general. Skidding on black ice is no fun...

 

[rossmycroftholmes]

I got my 4th, no way do I want to be ill and fail to ruin my wife's Christmas again.

 

[Briar Lee]

Tomorrow I’m traveling to our farm to settle accounts with my Amish renter.

It surprises a lot of people to learn each Amish household decides if they are vaccinated, and the good Amish mothers in the Humansville Amish community make doubly sure their family is vaccinated, just exactly like my good Campbellite mother left me no choice, but to get my shots.

Across the road from the house I grew up in lives my Amish renter’s sister.

During the first wave of Covid in the spring of 2020 her entire family, four little children and her husband, caught it, and she drove her buggy to Humansville to rent an oxygen machine.

They took turns using it, and one morning she woke up to find her husband dead, age 30. The mother and children survived, as did her unborn infant, born later that year.

I see her driving her buggy, with five little children, and it reminds me to get my shots, you know?

God helps those, that help themselves.

 

[Grangerous]

I received the first two Pfizer. I’m in a medical family. Talking with some of the retired doctors, they’re of the opinion that I now have enough antibodies and needn’t get anymore. So, no more jabs for me.

Sticky, (pun intended,) subject for many—I know.

 

[captpat]

My wife and I have all of the shots. Earlier this year she got COVID, couldn't really tell other than the test indicated positive. I escaped. We are both in a higher-risk category so it just makes sense to take advantage of what science has to offer.

 

[AcesAndEights]

Got the first round of shots. Ended up with Covid twice. Second case was just a mild runny nose. I only tested because my son was positive. I was stocked that I was positive.

I’m feeling alright about my level of protection at this point. I’m a believer in medicine, but I also believe that natural immunity is best.

 

[smudgersmissingleg]

I have zero shots but have no issue with those who decided differently.

That's a very reasonable and measured response, hoosier. You sure you belong on the Internet?

 

[Chasing Embers]

I have zero shots but have no issue with those who decided differently.

Same

 

[FurCoat]

I have zero shots but have no issue with those who decided differently.

Same here

 

[PipesRock]

Natural antibodies here from the original variant (of the variants in the wild anyway) and more from another variant later on. Different strokes [and pokes] for different folks.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Natural antibodies here from the original variant (of the variants in the wild anyway) and more from another variant later on. Different strokes [and pokes] for different folks.

My factory had a widespread contagious cough outbreak in November 2019. Doctors called it a nonspecific viral infection and later in Spring 2020 while being tested for prior Coronavirus infection, all of us had antibodies.

 

[Briar Lee]

Last year, the richest man in the county and his wife of over fifty years contracted Covid. He had donated heavily to “conservative” causes, and of course neither had their shots.

There was an experimental monoclonal treatment for Covid then, and my good friend JC says he refused it, but his wife took it.

In any event the man died, leaving his wife to manage all his farms and businesses.

JC claims there are no shortage of men offering to comfort the widow, help feed cattle, and help out in her time of need.

JC only has a thousand acres, and I remind him his widow might not find herself bereft and friendless if he forgets his shots, but he got his fifth shot before me.

 

[AJL67]

*edited before posting*

Im a pure blood and I’m happy letting everyone live their own life as they see fit.

 

[irishearl]

Had 3 Moderna shots but still got Covid in August from a family member. Had notable symptoms but suspect they would have been more severe had I not had the shots.

 

[canucklehead]

I haven't had any mrna jabs, I have had covid, and after recovering I have been exposed to covid numerous times without any re-infection. My wife had a Pfizer shot and cought covid at the same time as me and had it worse, the shot also messed up her menstrual cycle for almost a year.

Two of my uncles had near fatal heart attacks after receiving their Pfizer shots, and my aunt was in hospital for weeks and nearly died of kidney failure after a severe auto-immune response.

 

[PipesRock]

Last year, the richest man in the county and his wife of over fifty years contracted Covid. He had donated heavily to “conservative” causes, and of course neither had their shots.

There was an experimental monoclonal treatment for Covid then, and my good friend JC says he refused it, but his wife took it.

In any event the man died, leaving his wife to manage all his farms and businesses.

JC claims there are no shortage of men offering to comfort the widow, help feed cattle, and help out in her time of need.

JC only has a thousand acres, and I remind him his widow might not find herself bereft and friendless if he forgets his shots, but he got his fifth shot before me.

Hahaha... IB4TL.

 

[beargreasediet]

No issues with folks want to get the shots, only issues are with folks who insist others must get them. What happened with the military - I got issues with that.

Also with the folks who claimed the experimental tech is safe for pregnant women and babies…. How could they possibly know? Nothing new under the sun.

 

[K.E. Powell]

I got my vaccine and a single booster. I work at a jail/prison, so between that and the shots, I should have a well-practiced immune system. So far, at least to my knowledge, I have not contracted covid.

Briar's story reminds me of one of my own. When we first got the vaccine in the jail, it was a big deal, because it was initially available only to staff at the time (this was back when the vaccine just first released). Many inmates and their advocates grumbled, but it wasn't a decision made by our division. Rather, it was one made, as is so often the case, by a combination of logistics and private interests. In any event, many inmates threatened to sue and so forth.

But when we got the vaccine available for the inmate population, those same ones who did the most grumbling quickly stopped caring. The number of inmates and staff who got the vaccine was roughly the same percentage that was reflected in the state population generally. One inmate in particular, whose character and attitude was, to put it diplomatically, not pro-social, asked me about the vaccine. I told him what I knew, and then he interrupted me, saying, "I think I'll just let you get the vaccine and be a guinea pig. If you guys are fine, then maybe I'll get it too."

That stuck with me. Not the selfishness or solipsistic worldview espoused, for both of which are very common in carceral environments. But it was the complete lack of care of others and the self-awareness and willingness to state it as such. No politicizing, no self-aggrandizing, just brute self-interest. I hated him for that, but I respected it in an odd way, because it was at least honest.

You either give a shit about other people, or you don't. Period. But, as Briar stated so well, caring about others often demands caring about ourselves, that being mindful of others is also good for us and them. A lot of people live their entire lives not understanding that, thinking self-interest and altruism are two stark binaries clearly separated, when in reality they are largely intertwined. That inmate may have thought he was acting in his self-interest by being unabashedly selfish. He wasn't. Indeed, his inability to understand what is truly in his best interests is precisely why he frequents our facility so much.

Be decent. Above all, be decent to yourselves and each other.