*Editor’s note: We don’t “believe in free speech” at Elephant. We believe in truth.

Why? Because, as one of the last-alive indie media communities, with millions of readers a month, we actually affect real lives.

When did the Trump world and the yoga/natural world intersect? I love organics because they protect not only me but animals and farm workers from pesticides. It’s not all about me.

We are pro-vaccine here at Elephant. That said, do your research. Not into conspiracy-addled youtube videos, but into science.

Why aren’t we anti-vaxx? Because being anti-protection would brand us as off-mission, off-science, off-caring, pro-selfish, pro-anything goes—and we’d deserve it.

I’m a weirdo. I’m vegan. I bike, and don’t drive. I’m Buddhist. I’m an organic advocate—for many years. I don’t trust “big pharma.” But trust isn’t necessary—finding and identifying experts we can trust is. And when it comes to saving millions of lives, stopping a pandemic, allowing our small businesses to reopen, saving the jobs and apartments (if they still have them—houselessness has gone through the roof) of our most vulnerable and poor…

…equivocating is privilege.

That said, this article is incredibly important. It’s charming and well-written and a worthwhile discussion–open discussion is vital, and ought to be protected. But that doesn’t mean it’s on mission

So really: protect others. Give a care. Don’t endanger lives. Love facts. They aren’t (always) our opinions.  ~ Waylon, ed.

PS: I love organic food, hate plastic, and love garage sales.

PPS: here’s one I edited and published.

If you’re hesitant about the vaccine…
“Hey COVID, F*ck You!”—Why I got the Vaccine.
What to know if you’re Nervous about the COVID-19 Vaccine.
Yes, a Vaccine is our Only Way Out of this Mess.

~

So, before you get all up in arms about this damn vaccine—let me tell you a couple of things.

First, I’m not saying I will never get the vaccine, and I will burn in flames before that needle touches my upper arm. My current stance is that I may or may not get the vaccine, but I am not in any rush. I am at the end of the line for the vaccine, so to speak.

I work in education. I am around children 24/7 who aren’t masked, and I work within two inches of their precious little faces. I love my job. I have a family and none of us have gotten COVID-19—yet. There is always that yet. Knock on wood, right?

I am not a big fan of big pharma. I am vegan. I am alcohol and drug-free since 1998. I don’t drink coffee or even eat fricken donuts or pizza. I try not to use plastic. I wear a menstrual cup because tampons and pads have chemicals I don’t want near my Hoo-Ha.

I am as granola as they come. I won’t use anything with BPA. I don’t use a microwave.

Are you getting my drift?

In 2013, I had the opportunity to visit orphanages in Haiti. I got plumped up with shots for everything under the sun. I vaccinated my children (not on the doctors’ schedule, but on my own), but struggled with it immensely.

I see a naturopath or functional medicine doctor and prefer natural supplements to medications and fight with myself to take an Advil if I have a headache. I drink filtered water from the machine in the grocery store and fill up my own BPA-free jugs. Yes, I only buy organic, for the most part.

I tell you this (I realize I sound awfully privileged) because it has taken me a long time to be conscious of what I put in my body. I grew up on fast and canned food. I had no idea spinach was a leaf that grew in the ground and was not that yummy mush that comes in a can that Popeye ate to get stronger. I had never seen a green bean or pea that didn’t come from a can. The first time I saw asparagus I was in high school at a friend’s house. I lived on fast food as a teen and in my early 20s. I had no idea how to cook or take care of my body, and I suffered for it.

Generations before me have died too young from heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Most of my family members, including my own parents, died in their 50s from a life of alcoholism and drug addiction.

I learned after getting sober that I needed to change this family dynamic. I wasn’t going to let my “genes” and ancestry bring me down. I was going to break this goddamn cycle of bodily harm and abuse. Who knows what my genetics say because all my family did was abuse their bodies and live a life of being “sick and tired.” Well, I guess you could say I was sick and tired of being sick and tired as a young girl and took the effort to read books and watch documentaries about nutrition. I do the best I can to eat healthily and take care of my body without being super neurotic (most of the time).

So when I hear people bragging (it can sound like) that they got the vaccine, I say (internally), “Good for you! I am glad you made the right choice for you. I am glad you were able to get it.” I work in a field where I am able to get it sooner than others, and many people are jumping at the chance to get it, and again, I say, “Good for you!”

My current stance is I will be back here in this long line of people in front of me deciding if the Covid vaccine is right for me. I want all of the people in line before me to get that dang thing and rejoice in it! I want people to feel safe. I, as much as any of us, want Covid to go away.

I’m not the most trusting person in general, and I have a hard time buying what people are selling. I am not a fan of MLMs and hate garage sales. I also have low expectations generally and wait for the other shoe to drop when good news comes my way. My inner pessimist is alive and well. I don’t want to get super excited about this shot and have later complications. I have never had a flu shot. I am leary and hesitant about “new drugs.” I don’t trust it just because it’s FDA-approved.

All in all, I hope we all make the decision that is right for each one of us individually. If it ever becomes mandatory to get the vaccine to, say, fly on an airplane, then I would get it because traveling is important to me. My stance is down the middle right now.

I would love to hear how others feel about it. Most of my friends aren’t in a big hurry to get it, but I support and respect my friends either way. Most importantly, do what your intuition tells you to do for you. That seems to be the key to bridge almost any divide.

~