Another Covid Death

Just another Covid death in America.

The 6th death in my little circle of acquaintances.

Here’s the roster.

1). Lifelong friend - age of 72

2). Father of one of my childhood buddies - late 70’s.

3). Co-worker - 54

4). Mom of a co-worker - 81

5). Co-worker - 52

6). Co-worker - 57

You’ll note that three of the people who died were my age or younger. The first two 50-somethings did not have a chance to get vaccinated because they died early on in the pandemic.

The man who’s death I just learned of was 57.

Same age as me.

He was vehemently against the vaccine.

He believed that it was the work of government officials who somehow wanted to control us.

He thought that Fauci and Gates were behind the vaccine as they invented it in a lab in Wuhan and that it was a get rich scheme for them as they were selling masks, cleansers and sanitizers to all the ‘morons’ who were dumb enough to follow the rules.

I knew the man for about 30 years. He was always angry. He raged against authority. He told everyone who would listen to him that they were dumb. He was right on every subject.

And I kind of liked him.

He worked hard every day and was good at his job. He got hurt once, falling more than 20’ to the concrete below. He broke his leg, but was only out of work for about 4 days. When he returned I had to interview him about the incident and he said:

“It was my fault. I don’t want disability or compensation. I messed up. I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”

And he limped around for the next 15 years.

Yet, when news of his death hit my ear, I wondered about his last few days.

Did he have a moment of clarity?

Did he take his last few labored breaths wondering if he could have survived had he taken the vaccine?

Knowing him as I did, I’m thinking that nothing, not even death would change his mind.

But I found out later that his first grandchild was born just a few days after he passed away, and that stung my heart.

He worked hard for his family.

Didn’t get to enjoy them as life slowed down.

He didn’t even make it to his golden years.

Shame.

And as I said, I don’t believe he would’ve ever changed his mind about the politics that drove him to rage every day. 

He was passionate about it…

…and it killed him.

What did sadden me greatly is that he was a victim of misinformation on a grand scale and so many others have also fallen for it.

Of course, those same people believe that I am horribly misinformed because I have been vaccinated.

Difference being, of course, that I’m still here to wonder about who is right and who is wrong.

People who die unvaccinated don’t quite have that luxury.