IT HAD BEEN a long “Holy Week” since the COVID-19 pandemic hit us in March last year.
There were no triumphant entries to the city of the great temple.
But everybody have been riding on asses of incompetent governments, and on assholes of stupid politicians.
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The great many are still suffering the cross.
Heavier than the usual poverty and ignorance.
These days, we have to factor in mental health, COVID fatigue, and plain stupidity.
Many have died alone, away from family.
Many have died, and been cremated.
Many have died without a resurrection.
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And still we hope. And still, we pray.
Hopefully, the vaccines will help.
Hopefully, the vaccines will reach us before we are dead.
Because the vaccines have no power to resurrect our small bodies.
What the vaccines can do is maybe resurrect our economy.
Lessen the anxiety of people, and make them go back to work.
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The vaccine is not a gift of Life.
It may, or may not, protect you from the virus.
What it does is reduce your risk of getting hospitalized, intubated, and placed in critical care.
Worth it if you can get it, I always say.
And don’t be an asshole to refuse it if you are eligible to it.
Not everyone is offered the vaccine!
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I mean, technically, everyone is offered the vaccine (or should be); but with seven billion people in the world, we don’t have enough vaccines for everyone.
If you refuse it, good luck.
See you in hell!
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I mean, you prayed to God for this pandemic to be over.
And now that God has given the vaccine as an aid to help put this pandemic under control, you want to refuse it?
I think a special place in hell is just now being created for ungrateful bastards like you!
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I’m all for the vaccine, and it is not even made available to me yet.
So I’m not very happy about people who are eligible and still refuse it.
I mean, sure, each one has a choice to die the way they want.
I only wish they don’t choose to die by stupidity.
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I don’t want to talk about the pros and cons of the vaccine.
Those who want it, do not need my explanation.
Those who want to concoct conspiracy theories will always find ten reasons not to do it.
Their death and COVID morbidities will be their final judgment.
I promise I will be good and not say, “I told you so.”
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I don’t know if I became more prayerful during the first year of this pandemic.
I’ve always been prayerful.
This I know: I prayed a lot for people who have died in 2020, COVID-related or not.
As a ministry, I’m on several online chat groups trying to support and cheer people up.
When they report sickness or deaths in their families, I offer prayers.
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I prayed a lot for strangers in 2020, too.
Last year, there was a surge in my Facebook friend requests.
Several times, I have exceeded my 5,000 friends limit.
And all throughout 2020, I have been ministering to people (mostly online, but also among my circle in Maryland) dealing with boredom, depression, isolation, anxiety, panic, and even suicide ideations.
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If this pandemic will not kill us, people will eventually learn to cope.
Adjust to the new normal.
Reinvent life, and the world, as we know it.
But while they are dying a little, while we are not yet fully recovered from this pandemic, I just want to be there for them as I am with you, my dear newspaper readers, all through this time.
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Non-readers of my column do not get it.
But fan readers appreciate how I keep them afloat.
I am always grateful for their messages of gratitude (usually extended through social media).
And I know what it means for a writer to be there for his/her readers.
I mean, I’m rereading Matsuo Basho’s travel journals this week; and though we are 300-plus years apart, I am very much inspired by this Japanese writer. (To be continued)
