We Drink From One Fountain

Many relationships are littered with entrances and reentries. At the start, we enter without agendas or assumptions, yet as time progresses we develop an entire event calendar and a novella of presumptions. Throughout these unions — be them work-related, familial or love-induced — there are many pathways and diversions. We have choices marked by stepping forward and into something. Or maybe stepping sideways, sometimes slipping backwards and back into ‘it’.

The Covid Pandemic has created a whole new way for all of us to look at each other. Every door we walk through today, thanks to Covid, is framed by truth. It is framed by an opportunity to be honest or deceitful. Every entry we make today has an effect on every person on earth without regard to degrees of separation. Reentry into this new world has taught us unequivocally that we have quite an effect on each other and need to start truly respecting that power.

Those who have chosen not to get vaccinated know they are likely to kill their husband, a best friend, the kid next door or a favorite colleague in the next office. Those who have chosen not to get vaccinated know they are likely to die from Covid, when they get it. Those who decided to be vaccinated have faith they will not die, if they contract Covid. Those who decided to be vaccinated trust they will not be contagious to anyone else they come in contact with.

During our Covid lockdown we had a long time to decide how we will approach the power to harm others without lifting a finger. We had a choice of what’s behind curtain one or two. Without showing signs of stopping, the global population starting dying off and we were all presented a choice. Get vaccinated and protect those you love, or don’t get vaccinated and face a quick, miserable death for you including those you love. This was our reentry point. Our reentry into a modern pandemic world. And like the reentry from outer space into Earth’s atmosphere, it should be exact. Unfortunately, it has been more definable than laudable.

Our return to life, has come with new definitions, most of them dividing. If you are an anti-vaxxer, then you probably are MAGA. If you are an anti-vaxxer, you probably will be identified as a Trumper, the only President to challenge the CDC. The list of side effects from choosing not to be vaccinated is pages long. That ‘reentry’ demographic, however, is luckily a teeny part of the global population and mostly located in Russia, the rural US and other remote locations.

If you are a ‘vaxxer’, then you might be defined as pro-science, a liberal, or even worse, pro-government. It’s doubtful a ‘vaxxer’ will be wearing a MAGA hat or has a mask on (now that reentry is complete.) It is likely some of the vaccinated you know are still hiding away from crowds. Another bonus for the vaccinated is their silent reentry into the new world. They are not easy to spot, while many ‘anti-vaxxers’ are proudly conspicuous.

Reentry has provided our modern population with knowledge we did not expect. We know more about each other politically, spiritually and medically than ever before. This is probably a good thing. Collectively, we all just got a Master’s Degree in Humanity.

This is an opportunity for each individual to give some consideration to their relationship with all the other people on earth. We share an ocean. We share air. We eat from the same pantry. We drink from one fountain. We affect each others’ lives with each and every one of our choices.

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This post was previously published on medium.com.