Relative Something

Waking to news that a new armed attack has occurred, unprecedented in its scale, between Israel and Palestine is an unsettling start to the day. I cherish every moment that there are no military battles occurring where I live. Logic would reveal that none of us are immune to unrest that can erupt anywhere at any time, but I feel privileged for the decades I’ve lived free of armed conflicts.

There is no comparison to threats to human life but yesterday we came upon a scene of destruction in the labyrinth that shocked us. It’s wild to discover evidence of an incident we hadn’t seen coming.

That tree broke in so many places when it struck the rocks it must have made quite a sound. It surely would have been shocking if we had been nearby when it fell.

Another thing that has me feeling especially privileged is how easily I was able to get flu and COVID-19 booster shots. Last weekend, Cyndie worked the web and found herself an appointment in Red Wing, MN after learning our local clinic did not have stock of the COVID vaccine yet.

Our clinic in River Falls thought they would have more by Thursday or Friday. As I was driving to town yesterday to pick up a battery I had ordered from an auto parts store, I realized I had forgotten to call the clinic. Since it was just down the street from where I was, I decided to just stop and ask in person about the status of their vaccines.

“Yes, we have the vaccines,” the receptionist told me. “Would you like to make an appointment?”

I responded in the affirmative.

“Are you available today?”

Affirmative.

After a minute or two of simple questions and her typing and clicking, she said, “You can take a seat and someone will come for you shortly.”

A few minutes later I had my shots and was back in the lobby for a 15-minute wait to ensure I suffered no allergic reaction.

How come that was so easy? What did I do to earn such royal service? No hoops to jump through, no days of waiting, and no out-of-pocket expenses.

One guess I have is that showing up in person helped to pave the way, but she could have told me any day in the coming week and I would have accepted that.

Whatever it was that contributed to my good luck, I recognize the privilege I enjoy to live where I do and have access to the services readily available to me.

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