GROWING UP: THINGS TO DO AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

Growing up too fast in not a good thing. Neither is a prolonged childhood, Peter Pan.

But there are thresholds along the way, things to wait on as well as things to accomplish as soon as possible.

Twitter asked a question: “Why would you wait to get a covid vaccine during a pandemic?”

It made me think of the things we do from the start, things we want to do as soon as possible.

Things to do as soon as possible?

Eat solid food.

Tell me there isn’t a thrill when baby eats solid food and keeps it down.

The joy is made better when baby learns to pick up teething crackers from the high chair and put them in their mouth.

There may be a slight disconnect in the food chain when baby takes spooned food out of their mouth for a closer examination, but it temporary. Usually.

Walk.

Walking is the evolution that starts with baby rolling over the first time, sitting up, crawling, standing up, the first step, and they’re off.

It happens on it’s own time, this walking. No one should force baby to walk too soon.

They need that crawling connection.

Crawling is considered the first form of independent movement. It helps develop and enhance our vestibular/balance system, sensory system, cognition, problem solving skills, and coordination.

The Growing Up List

Some kids struggle, some take things in stride, but eventually it all works out.

The list includes potty trained, read, dress yourself, make your bed, ride a bike, meet bike friends, get driver’s license, go on a date, learn something, get a job, live someplace, get covid vaccine, get second covid vaccine.

There it is, all up to date.

But why put the covid vaccine in there at all? After 750,000 covid deaths, it’s earned a spot on the development list.

Still, why, you ask? My answer comes from a particular place. And it’s selfish, self-centered, and all about me. Me and anyone else walking around.

Too many times I’ve read stories, horrible stories, about people poo-pooing the freaking virus like it’s just another thing, not the last thing.

Then it is the last thing.

A dying breath can’t be easy under any circumstances, but a dying breath in a hospital bed, laying their naked under a gown with a machine hooked to the hose stuck down your throat dying breath sounds miserable.

Glenn Ellis from Birmingham, Alabama sounds off with Dear Covid:

Speaking of the vaccine, you were truly brilliant in how you revealed that we have generations of folks with some of the lowest rates of health literacy rates in the world; even though we have some the best (and most expensive) institutions of higher learning. Still, the national, state, and local strategies to encourage vaccines, is to tell folks to follow the science. COVID-19, don’t they understand that you can’t follow what you don’t understand? What they are really saying is to follow the “personality.”

Health Literacy From ‘Personality’ To Personal

I’m a fan of health literacy from my early days.

I broke my collar bone before kindergarten, broke a finger in 4th grade, the collar bone again in sixth grade after a bike crash. Get me a doctor.

My shoulder popped my sophomore year in high school, and again my freshman year in college. Let the healing begin.

I took my medial experience into the service and became an Army medic, so I have no excuse for health illiteracy.

But still . . . there’s room for stupid.

In my 20’s: No dentist for ten years?

Dentist: I’d never make a living if everyone had teeth like you.

Also ran a marathon.

30’s: The bike ride between Eugene and Portland.

I had a sprained grundle for two months. How do professional bike riders avoid that?

40’s: Ran Hood to Coast.

It was a team of local kids and four dads.

50’s: Caregiving in sandwich generation.

60’s: Neck and skin cancer wins.

As you can see, I’ve had a good run. Did I mention a broken heart? I got through that, still getting through that one, thanks for asking.

And Finally, This

The biggest reason I got covid vaccine and booster?

I’ve got people I like to see and f**k me if I’m giving them this shit. And f**k you if you give them this shit.

We’re all friends, right?

Avoiding the vaccine is not friendly. Neither is infecting others. Be more friendly.

I accept that some people have valid reasons for not getting the vaccine. The people I know are steeped in growing up and know how to act responsibly.

Their reasons don’t involve their ‘freedoms’, doing their ‘research’, or like NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers consulting Joe Rogan for advice on veterinary medicine.

This is where following the personality that Glenn Ellis mentioned comes in.

When the personality is as crooked as a dog’s hind leg, as honest as the next chronic liar, and as faithful as a hoochie-coochie man on leave from prison, there’s a question.

A big part of growing up is learning shit from shinola. When someone demonstrates that lack of basic knowledge it’s fairly apparent from their appearance.

It starts from the ground up.

“Don’t buy anymore shoe polish. We’ve got this new stuff that works even better. You can even eat it.”

Who’s first to try growing up on that?