I'm coming up on my one year anniversary at work. Shortly after being hired last year, I found out I would be holding down the office while most of my coworkers went on a team trip. They repeatedly told me over and over again, "Next year, you're coming with us!" Staying in the office last year while almost everyone was vacationing was not fun. It didn't even feel like the same place because it was so quiet and lifeless.
Fast forward to the end of September. I received an email from my boss announcing where and when our annual team reward trip would be. Honestly, I had kinda forgotten about it. I couldn't believe I would get to go on a cruise with my incredible team in January 2022 for a week. How exciting!
Today I just found out that the cruise line changed the regulations from not needing to be vaccinated to requiring vaccinations. And it feels like COVID-19 is going to continue to run our lives indefinitely.
Yes, it would be easy to just get vaccinated, and then I can still go on the cruise. But I also can't get on board. Even thinking about getting the vaccine makes me realize how much I do not want to be vaccinated. And having to be in this situation and make a decision literally makes me sick. Every time I think about this, I have knots in my stomach.
Deep down I feel like we should all be allowed to freely choose whether or not to get the vaccine. I don't think it is right that we have to be vaccinated in order to keep our jobs, travel, live our lives, etc. Additionally, I don't think it is right that we cannot accept differing perspectives on this topic. I was on a date that seemed to be going well until he found out I wasn't vaccinated. And then the vibe changed and he was completely uninterested in me simply because I hadn't gotten the COVID shots.
I spent 30 years letting so many things and people control how I lived my life. And I didn't even realize it. Now that I have flown out of the cage, I don't want to be forced back into it. I want to be able to choose.
A little over a year ago, I had COVID and couldn't work for 2 weeks. It sucked. Hospitals have been filled to capacity. People have died. None of that is pleasant. However, forcing people to get vaccinated isn't the solution in my opinion. And until we find a better solution, I think we could all work on having strong opinions while still being kind to those who don't see eye to eye with us. Because we are all human and we all deserve respect and kindness regardless of what we believe or think. Our opinion on the coronavirus shouldn't dictate how we treat each other. We can do better.
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