Rabbit Holes

 

by Pa Rock

Survivor

I spent the better part of this morning sitting in my car and reading a book.  I was parked outside of my doctor's office waiting to be admitted for a regularly scheduled appointment, but an emergency arose which forced a delay in my appointment.  Fortunately I had my book de jour with me - I always do - and managed to keep myself enthralled until the doctor was ready to see me.

My doctor is great.  He is a young man of progressive thought and spirit, well educated, and attentive to the needs and concerns of his patients.  He is also a responsible citizen of the community.   When the COVID virus first began spreading, my doctor went before our city council and presented an impassioned plea for a city-wide mask mandate.  The council very courteously thanked him for coming and then promptly voted down his sage advice.

Today, between medical questions, we also chatted about the pandemic.  The doctor is still appalled at the amount of misinformation that is spreading locally.  He said that the people who won't wear masks or get vaccinated ARE NOT coming into the clinic seeking any sort of medical advice, and that they seem to be getting their information from non-medical sources.  (Hello, Facebook!). I told him that I live down the lane from several people of that mindset, and he smiled sadly and said, "I'll bet you do."  (And I will bet that he does, as well.  In this case ignorance seems to spread across socio-economic and class lines as fast as a . . . well, as fast as a rampant and deadly virus.)

I told the doctor that I have personally known two people who have died of COVID, and he quickly assured me that he has known considerably more than that.   I also groused about someone close to me who refuses to get vaccinated, and the good doctor looked me in the eye and said, "Rock, once you go down that rabbit hole, it's hard to ever crawl back out."

And that has stuck with me.  Those people who rushed to downplay commonsense safety procedures, many out of some twisted political fealty to Donald Trump, have now, like me, known people who have died, but they scurried down the rabbit hole is a rush of political righteousness and now are too entrenched in their fantasies - or are simply too embarrassed - to climb out and warm themselves in the bright light of reason.

If I have a question or a concern about my car, I will talk to a mechanic - and if I have a question about my health, I will consult a doctor - EVERY DAMNED TIME!  People who solicit or accept medical advice from social media, politicians, and crackpots put themselves at risk, and if they refuse to take basic safety precautions to combat a pandemic, they endanger themselves, their families, and everyone with whom they interact.  It is more than just neglect, it is intentional abusive treatment.

I refuse to put my neighbors at risk, and I wish they would climb out of their rabbit holes and show the same courtesy toward me.