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A few nights ago, I couldn’t sleep, and this occurred to me in the wee hours of the morning:

Going out there in the world unvaccinated and unmasked is like having sex without a condom or some other type of barrier protection. You erroneously believe that either you or a partner can’t or won’t get pregnant or contract an STD just because you haven’t yet, or you can prevent it by having strong enough intentions that it won’t happen to you.

I have heard certain unscrupulous tantra teachers claim that if you are spiritual enough, and your energy is high and pure enough, none of the aforementioned will happen to you.

While no form of contraception is 100 percent effective, it is more likely to prevent an unwanted outcome. While no vaccine or mask is 100 percent effective, it is more likely to prevent an unwanted outcome. Ask the more than 600,000 people who have died in the United States alone.

Ready for the whataboutism to begin? “What about the people who have had side effects from the vaccine? What about the people who have died as a result of the vaccine? How many have had breakthrough COVID-19?”

For the record, I have been fully vaccinated (Moderna) since the end of February and had no immediate or long-term side effects. Since I am in a high risk group with cardiac and respiratory issues, when the booster is recommended, I will take it. When I received my first two, I cried with relief and gratitude.

In my life, I am surrounded by mostly vaccinated family and friends. My immediate family is cautious, wearing masks when in buildings and steering clear of events where there are a lot of people. We are all fully vaccinated, except for my year-and-a-half-old grandson. This child has never been in a store or restaurant for his protection. When I go into stores, I question in my head whether people doff their masks because they are vaccinated and feel safe doing so or if they insist on maintaining their freedom of choice to throw caution to the wind. Then there are the in-betweeners whose masks cover their mouths but not their noses. I call that being half naked. One of the other benefits of mask wearing is that no one can see you smirk. I’ve been doing a whole lot of that lately.

Wanting to stay informed, I read articles with varied perspectives, some making pronouncements that people who believe as I do are deluded, and if we only knew the truth about the origin and intention of the virus, we would be shocked. Some are absorbing the conspiracy theories and spreading them. They use a mish-mosh of ideas to come to their conclusions, insisting that credible medical people agree with them. I have a few in my life who believe that with enough immune boosting natural remedies, clean, healthy, non-GMO foods, sunshine, and lofty thoughts, that nasty virus won’t come near them. Kind of like believing a clove of garlic and a cross will ward off vampires.

I saw a Facebook post from a man named John Matthews who was likening the chances of surviving Covid if you decline the vaccine to choosing various colored marbles. Some would deliver minor symptoms and some devastating results. His recommendation was not to enter the room where the marbles are stored. I concur.

In the past few weeks, I’ve read so many sad stories about people who were either vaccine hesitant or outright refusing to take the jab, who have died or who are still gravely ill, speaking from their hospital beds as they gasp for breath and grasp for life. They express regret for their decision. In some cases, children have been orphaned, adults widowed. Those who live have been putting themselves out there as a cautionary tale.

What astounds me is that the people who are vax-negative are eagerly purchasing and using Ivermectin, despite the FDA warning against its use for this purpose for two-leggeds. I would love to ask them if they know what is in their food, or if they smoke and know the toxins they are ingesting by doing so.

There are people who are outraged at the mask and vaccine mandates. Then, there are people who are outraged that deliberately unvaccinated people are taking up hospital beds to be treated for Covid to the extent that those in need of hospitalization for other reasons have experience serious ramifications—such as a child whose appendix ruptured while awaiting treatment or a man who died of a heart attack while being transferred to a hospital 200 miles away. He had been turned down by 43 closer hospitals.

When I was in the hospital a month ago, I was grateful that I was whisked into the ER immediately upon arrival and once I was stable, was transferred to a bed on a unit that had previously treated Covid patients. When I asked, the staff told me tragic stories about being with people at the end of their lives and the emotional and physical exhaustion they’ve experienced over the past two years. Although they were trained to be professional caregivers, they never anticipated this. My heart is with them.

The way that I see it is that while everyone has the right to hold their own opinions and make their own decisions, they don’t have the right to cause harm to others on their way to claim their sovereignty.

I know people who have survived Covid and who have since gotten vaccinated, and I know some who are relying on the antibodies to take the place of the vaccine. I’m not a medical professional, so I can’t speak with authority about the advisability of that decision. I am a social scientist and therapist who studies human nature and human behavior. I would like to think that having dodged a virtual bullet, they wouldn’t want to take the chance of reinfection and would not wish it on anyone else. The people I know who are refraining are good, kind, caring, responsible people who can’t imagine getting sick or infecting anyone else and yet…

I pray for their safety and that of everyone with whom they cross paths.