Interesting article. So I’ll just share. Not trying to shift anyone’s mind.
Mind you, I am on no side, really….I know too many people who have been hurt on both sides of the dilemma. I know people who have died from this virus, dear friends who lost loved ones. They are angry their loved ones didn’t do more to protect themselves. Just angry. Grieving.
We are ALL angry by now….I try to keep that in check, doing all the things, bringing in my own light….I’m angry at all of it, actually. I don’t know what is true and what is not. Round and round. I doubt everything. I’m extremely stressed.
All I can say is, over the course of my life, there have been many who have died from the flu virus - what we used to dread when I was a kid. Temperatures of 104, lying in bed for a week, coughing till our ribs cracked. Some years were worse than others. Most of us survived.
My parents dragged me to the Dr every fall for a “flu vaccine” from the time I was 6. I had NO say in the matter until I left home at 25. (I’m now 68.) After that, my profession (dental field) demanded I be vaccinated for a number of things….small pox, polio, tetanus, flu, Hepatitis B….you know, the CYA stuff. Except for the Hepatitis B in 1986, I’d had all the others. Before college, mom made me get measles and mumps vaccines too, as I never had either one - try as she might, to have my brother pass them to me. You were also not an adult at 18, the way you are now…..it was 21. Parents were still in charge. 😳
I do know that in my profession, masks worked very well at reducing our exposure to disease from patients who chose to come to us when they were sick - or about to be. I wore a mask at work, day in and day out, for 30 years. The kids loved to take a mask home so they could pretend dentist! There was no fear in this.
This was all a LONG time ago….I am old. Things were VERY different. There was very little science, no place like the internet to look stuff up, and people trusted their Dr’s. There was no CDC. Heck, no one even had insurance back then. Not till the 70’s sometime. Life was lived on a different plane.
Also, I was privileged and white, which we know makes a huge difference in who gets health care here in the US, and the quality of that care. In this country, systemic racism is a huge player. We don’t love our black/brown brothers and sisters the way we do those with light skin. Pity this, that our love is so limited.
Even alternative medicine - very expensive here in the States.
When I switched to mostly alternative medicine about 15 years ago, my friends back home thought I was really really odd. When I changed my diet to manage my gut issues - a few criticized me - “you won’t be socially acceptable” they said. Because I can’t eat gluten or dairy??? Really?
I discontinued getting vaccines in 2003. Now that I’m old, I’m told I need Shingles vaccine, and 2 kinds of pneumonia vaccines. I have refused. I was in and out of my mother’s and my brother’s nursing homes for 15 years, and never got shingles or pneumonia. Neither did my brother. 🤷🏼♀️
I’ve read about the Joe Rogan issue. My beef with him is his disrespect for women and persons of color. While he is entitled to his opinions about that, however, I find both offensive to me personally. And I have boundaries about them.
On the vaccine stuff, it is just blah, blah, blah…nothing I haven’t already heard.
I have spent a lot of time with alternative medicine folks….so I understand vaccine risks. As I said, I know people I love who have been vaccinated, and some who have not. Some have gotten sick with Covid, some have not. A few who were very compromised with their general health, died from Covid. Some recovered. Some with vaccines get sick anyway (just like with my flu shots long ago), some don’t. Oh and yeah, most of the kids in my elementary school didn’t get flu shots, by the way - $$$$. They were no more sick, any more often than I was. Just saying.
It is obvious to me that there are other factors with this virus which determine who gets sick and who does not. Factors that have been overlooked by science at this point. Or, more likely, are not yet discoverable by the means we have. Some days it is one big f-ing experiment.
I’m on and off with vaccines in general. Have they saved lives? Sure - with small pox and polio decidedly so. In college, I had a friend in an iron lung machine from polio. She died at age 40. What I do see, and distrust, is that we will enter another “vaccine tunnel” - just like with flu - you need a vaccine every year for this stuff. I am very unsure I’m willing to go there at this point. There is so much unknown….and THAT is what I find frightening. We don’t know what we don’t know.
It isn’t political for me. Just many unanswered questions. And who is profiting from this in the end? It is all about $$$ somewhere along the line. I’m not a conspiracy theory person either….however, my gut senses that in the beginning, this virus was experimental, possibly for biological weapons, and there was an “accident” - or not. Perhaps it is a blessing that only a few million have died and not the entire planet…..I don’t know. I don’t say that lightly. It is suffering. We are all suffering in ways too numerous to count.
Your ‘random thoughts’ are filled with wisdom from your experiences. Thank you for sharing. What you say reinforces my view that one size does most certainly not fit all. One black sheep recognises another. I’ve not been anti-vax but I never wanted a flu shot and I’ve never been persecuted for not having one. When I asked her for it, my doctor told me the shingles vaccine wasn’t appropriate for me. There’s something bigger at work here - hardly any doctors are saying this experimental injection isn’t appropriate for anyone. This has been about much more than money. When they label articles on natural immunity as misinformation, you know it’s not about health. And of course there are many other reasons we can find that show that it’s not about health. I’m not a conspiracy theorist but I’m pretty sure there is a conspiracy somewhere. That’s why we need to start building something new. Where people can be seen, and heard, and validated. Build it with people that we trust. And I agree, it gets more difficult every day to know who those people are.
Thank you for sharing your thoughtful reflections, Martie. The most important thing you are doing is *asking questions*. Most people have forgotten how to do that, so you are well on your way to discovering truths hidden from those who mindlessly swallow the propaganda pouring out of the telescreen.
“Have they saved lives? Sure - with small pox and polio decidedly so.”
I thought that, too, up until a few hours ago, when I read this mind-blowing article:
I recommend reading it right away as it has profound lessons for what we are enduring today. It is based on “Dissolving Illusions,” which has been in my audiobook queue for a while, but I am bumping it straight to the top after I finish “Darkness over Germany.”
As far as masks go, you may appreciate my piece summarizing the research and scientific evidence for their inefficacy and potential harm:
Similarly, this piece knocks down every propaganda talking point arguing for mandates, vaxxports, and related regulations using a broad range of evidence:
Abby, I was honored to learn my letter inspired this beautiful meditation. I love how you arc from enjoyment to dejection to cynicism to anger to introspection and ultimately to courageous hope. That last paragraph gave me goosebumps.
I got the notice from Substack of your comment but I hadn't realised you traveled over to mine to write it! Now I'm honoured too! ha ha! Mutual appreciation society, what a great start to the week. Thank you so much, and I love your observation on my process. I'm usually too much in it to notice it's trajectory, but I do always intend to come out the other side into the light. Sending love.
Hi Abby,
Interesting article. So I’ll just share. Not trying to shift anyone’s mind.
Mind you, I am on no side, really….I know too many people who have been hurt on both sides of the dilemma. I know people who have died from this virus, dear friends who lost loved ones. They are angry their loved ones didn’t do more to protect themselves. Just angry. Grieving.
We are ALL angry by now….I try to keep that in check, doing all the things, bringing in my own light….I’m angry at all of it, actually. I don’t know what is true and what is not. Round and round. I doubt everything. I’m extremely stressed.
All I can say is, over the course of my life, there have been many who have died from the flu virus - what we used to dread when I was a kid. Temperatures of 104, lying in bed for a week, coughing till our ribs cracked. Some years were worse than others. Most of us survived.
My parents dragged me to the Dr every fall for a “flu vaccine” from the time I was 6. I had NO say in the matter until I left home at 25. (I’m now 68.) After that, my profession (dental field) demanded I be vaccinated for a number of things….small pox, polio, tetanus, flu, Hepatitis B….you know, the CYA stuff. Except for the Hepatitis B in 1986, I’d had all the others. Before college, mom made me get measles and mumps vaccines too, as I never had either one - try as she might, to have my brother pass them to me. You were also not an adult at 18, the way you are now…..it was 21. Parents were still in charge. 😳
I do know that in my profession, masks worked very well at reducing our exposure to disease from patients who chose to come to us when they were sick - or about to be. I wore a mask at work, day in and day out, for 30 years. The kids loved to take a mask home so they could pretend dentist! There was no fear in this.
This was all a LONG time ago….I am old. Things were VERY different. There was very little science, no place like the internet to look stuff up, and people trusted their Dr’s. There was no CDC. Heck, no one even had insurance back then. Not till the 70’s sometime. Life was lived on a different plane.
Also, I was privileged and white, which we know makes a huge difference in who gets health care here in the US, and the quality of that care. In this country, systemic racism is a huge player. We don’t love our black/brown brothers and sisters the way we do those with light skin. Pity this, that our love is so limited.
Even alternative medicine - very expensive here in the States.
When I switched to mostly alternative medicine about 15 years ago, my friends back home thought I was really really odd. When I changed my diet to manage my gut issues - a few criticized me - “you won’t be socially acceptable” they said. Because I can’t eat gluten or dairy??? Really?
I discontinued getting vaccines in 2003. Now that I’m old, I’m told I need Shingles vaccine, and 2 kinds of pneumonia vaccines. I have refused. I was in and out of my mother’s and my brother’s nursing homes for 15 years, and never got shingles or pneumonia. Neither did my brother. 🤷🏼♀️
I’ve read about the Joe Rogan issue. My beef with him is his disrespect for women and persons of color. While he is entitled to his opinions about that, however, I find both offensive to me personally. And I have boundaries about them.
On the vaccine stuff, it is just blah, blah, blah…nothing I haven’t already heard.
I have spent a lot of time with alternative medicine folks….so I understand vaccine risks. As I said, I know people I love who have been vaccinated, and some who have not. Some have gotten sick with Covid, some have not. A few who were very compromised with their general health, died from Covid. Some recovered. Some with vaccines get sick anyway (just like with my flu shots long ago), some don’t. Oh and yeah, most of the kids in my elementary school didn’t get flu shots, by the way - $$$$. They were no more sick, any more often than I was. Just saying.
It is obvious to me that there are other factors with this virus which determine who gets sick and who does not. Factors that have been overlooked by science at this point. Or, more likely, are not yet discoverable by the means we have. Some days it is one big f-ing experiment.
I’m on and off with vaccines in general. Have they saved lives? Sure - with small pox and polio decidedly so. In college, I had a friend in an iron lung machine from polio. She died at age 40. What I do see, and distrust, is that we will enter another “vaccine tunnel” - just like with flu - you need a vaccine every year for this stuff. I am very unsure I’m willing to go there at this point. There is so much unknown….and THAT is what I find frightening. We don’t know what we don’t know.
It isn’t political for me. Just many unanswered questions. And who is profiting from this in the end? It is all about $$$ somewhere along the line. I’m not a conspiracy theory person either….however, my gut senses that in the beginning, this virus was experimental, possibly for biological weapons, and there was an “accident” - or not. Perhaps it is a blessing that only a few million have died and not the entire planet…..I don’t know. I don’t say that lightly. It is suffering. We are all suffering in ways too numerous to count.
So just some random thoughts from and old woman.
Peace to all,
Martie
Your ‘random thoughts’ are filled with wisdom from your experiences. Thank you for sharing. What you say reinforces my view that one size does most certainly not fit all. One black sheep recognises another. I’ve not been anti-vax but I never wanted a flu shot and I’ve never been persecuted for not having one. When I asked her for it, my doctor told me the shingles vaccine wasn’t appropriate for me. There’s something bigger at work here - hardly any doctors are saying this experimental injection isn’t appropriate for anyone. This has been about much more than money. When they label articles on natural immunity as misinformation, you know it’s not about health. And of course there are many other reasons we can find that show that it’s not about health. I’m not a conspiracy theorist but I’m pretty sure there is a conspiracy somewhere. That’s why we need to start building something new. Where people can be seen, and heard, and validated. Build it with people that we trust. And I agree, it gets more difficult every day to know who those people are.
Thank you for sharing your thoughtful reflections, Martie. The most important thing you are doing is *asking questions*. Most people have forgotten how to do that, so you are well on your way to discovering truths hidden from those who mindlessly swallow the propaganda pouring out of the telescreen.
“Have they saved lives? Sure - with small pox and polio decidedly so.”
I thought that, too, up until a few hours ago, when I read this mind-blowing article:
https://amidwesterndoctor.substack.com/p/the-smallpox-pandemic-response-was
I recommend reading it right away as it has profound lessons for what we are enduring today. It is based on “Dissolving Illusions,” which has been in my audiobook queue for a while, but I am bumping it straight to the top after I finish “Darkness over Germany.”
As far as masks go, you may appreciate my piece summarizing the research and scientific evidence for their inefficacy and potential harm:
• “Letter to the Oregon Health Authority” (https://margaretannaalice.substack.com/p/letter-to-the-oregon-health-authority)
Similarly, this piece knocks down every propaganda talking point arguing for mandates, vaxxports, and related regulations using a broad range of evidence:
• “Letter to a Governing Body” (https://margaretannaalice.substack.com/p/letter-to-a-governing-body)
Keep thinking, keep questioning, keep learning.
Abby, I was honored to learn my letter inspired this beautiful meditation. I love how you arc from enjoyment to dejection to cynicism to anger to introspection and ultimately to courageous hope. That last paragraph gave me goosebumps.
I got the notice from Substack of your comment but I hadn't realised you traveled over to mine to write it! Now I'm honoured too! ha ha! Mutual appreciation society, what a great start to the week. Thank you so much, and I love your observation on my process. I'm usually too much in it to notice it's trajectory, but I do always intend to come out the other side into the light. Sending love.
Haha, I ran out of time to reply to the new comments at my post, but I didn’t want to go to bed without responding to your post :-)