The Surplus Population

 

When my alarm went off this morning I hit it with a rather “not today, Satan!” kind of energy. I don’t know why. Perhaps that bit of extra sleep was needed. Or perhaps everyone has mornings where an inner adolescent shouts, “You can’t make me!”

The first thing that came to mind as a blog topic would have been hilarious, and delightful, and local. But it might have embarrassed someone. And I’m getting better at foreseeing that, I hope.

The second thing would have been scathing, and pointed, and very much well-deserved. But it would have been focused on one individual in the public eye and I’m trying not to do too much of that, either.

The third thing isn’t completely ready yet.

Well, phooey.

Did you read yesterday’s blog post yet? I’m rather proud of it.

I’m going to leave you with something I learned in a conversation with my doctor recently. We were talking about how “moving on from COVID” was revealing a big divide between “regular folks” and the medically vulnerable. 

“When I first heard about COVID I knew that the US was going to have a huge problem. Because of our affluence, we have a significant population who are able to live with serious medical issues. Other, less-affluent countries don’t have that. Those people just die.”

Those people just die. 

My doctor wasn’t saying what was right or wrong. She was commenting on the great disparity in available health care between nations. But for those of us to whom much has been given, we now see how easily it can be taken away. And all it takes is for people to simply not care.

As the school system (and the country, it would seem) careen determinedly towards something called “normalcy”, those people are still a part of our country. Honestly, I would be concerned about this even if I weren’t one of them.

Whether you disbelieve the science on masking, or you feel it’s your “right” not to mask, or you just don’t like it, one reason that I mask in public is out of #respect for others who may be immunocompromised, unvaccinated, or unaware of my vax status.

Compassion still matters. - - @JeromeAdamsMD