Today I spoke to a friend who I had not seen since the COVID outbreak. He knew I had the disease early on, and asked me if I had hesitated to get vaccinated. I said no, and explained why:
I have evidence that I had a strong antibody response from the disease. I probably did not need to get a vaccine, but it was also the best medical advice for me to do so. However there is another, more important, reason. It is the right thing for me to do as my part in a war.
“War” is a very common description of the times we are in. We are facing an insidious enemy killing our friends and family. It lives within our borders and is getting stronger every day.
I thank God that I never had to be in an actual war and experience the terror of bullets flying over my head and the loud chaos of battle. For me to effectively participate in this war for our freedom — and make no mistake, that is EXACTLY what this is — all I had to do was get a vaccine that poses almost no risk to my life or health. It took 30 minutes in an air-conditioned office.
I understand that getting a shot might be scary or inconvenient. And nobody likes being told what to do. Many say getting a shot impinges on our freedom of choice. You know what else impinges on our freedom of choice? A wartime draft. Being conscripted against your will.
Again, I am so fortunate that I never had to experience that. We have not had a draft call in America since 1972. But of course when I was 18, I signed up for the draft, because I was ready to do my duty.
That’s how I view a vaccination. It’s not my preference, but it’s my duty. An alternate perspective.
The job of a virus is to evolve, get stronger, and survive. The delta variant is probably just the beginning if we don’t kill or contain the thing. The longer the virus thrives, the more our freedom is at risk. We will have a future of pain … More death, economic uncertainty, masks … probably more shots.
I’ve read enough to know that almost nothing can change the minds of the unvaccinated. If you think it’s a hoax, there is nothing I can say to you and I won’t debate you. The comments are closed on this post for that reason. But several people have encouraged me to share my story, and so I did.
That is part of my duty, too.
Mark Schaefer is the executive director of Schaefer Marketing Solutions. He is the author of several best-selling digital marketing books and is an acclaimed keynote speaker, college educator, and business consultant. The Marketing Companion podcast is among the top business podcasts in the world. Contact Mark to have him speak to your company event or conference soon.
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llustration courtesy Unsplash.com
