These weeks really fly by, don’t they?

Okay, so I had some good things happen this week. I didn’t post on social media, but posting on my blog is a little bit different somehow. Maybe this will help someone else.

I knew my time to be eligible for the COVID vaccine was coming up soon since I teach in the schools. I actually teach at 3 different elementary schools and see three different groups of children each week! In any case, thanks to a social media post by a friend and a facebook group I below to, I learned that teachers can go to Walmart or Walgreens in Illinois and get their shots already. I asked my friend for advice, as she had an appointment, and I started trying to get one. The whole time, I figured it probably wouldn’t work, but I lucked into an appointment at a Walgreens in East St Louis, which is under 20 minutes away from me (St Louis is right on the border of Missouri and Illinois.)

I asked myself if I was doing the right thing, taking this appointment, and I decided yes I was, because I was teaching those three groups of kids, plus another small class in person, with no employer provided health care or sick days. Additionally, I knew many other teachers were doing the same thing, and I also felt like since I was driving less far to get the shot than I actually drive to work, I wasn’t even going out of my jurisidiction. These shots are paid by my tax dollars, and just because the idiot governor I didn’t vote for won’t let teachers get them didn’t mean I didn’t deserve one. Me not spreading COVID will help all the kids at that school, and the people I come into contact with. And it’ll help Louie lower his risk, since college teachers aren’t eligible yet in either state. Sure, I’m rationalizing, but aren’t we all?

I’m sure others deserve them more, and everybody deserves them and hopefully will all get them soon and I frankly think it’s ridiculous that we said how important grocery store workers were and yet won’t give them vaccines or raise minimum wage. But I digress.

So I drove over the river to East St Louis on Wednesday, all the time assuming there was a good chance I’d be turned away. But NO. They took my ID and my insurance, and I signed something saying I was an essential worker (the employee said that’s what teachers should say, that they had been vaccinating teachers all morning) and then I waited a few more minutes, and the pharmacist came out and gave me my vaccine. I thought I would cry, and I almost did, but I was just so excited. I also felt super guilty  for getting the shot, and I felt like I was doing something that was unfair since Louie couldn’t get his shot yet, but I am glad I did it. I got the Pfizer shot, and I go back at the end of March for my second dose.

I do know my privilege (of internet skills and having a flexible enough schedule to take a weekday morning appointment, and easy access to a car, though this site would have been possible via public transportation as well) helped me get this shot, and the rollout statewide and nationwide is really awful, but if I hadn’t taken it, someone else would have, and this helps all the teachers in the district, all the kids, their parents, etc.

If you are reading this, and you are in Missouri and are either already eligible or will be eligible very soon (or are a teacher), I recommend joining this facebook group for information. There are people on the group helping others get appointments as well and ways to help with transportation. If you know any elderly people in the area still looking, that’s a great resource for them or for you to help them.

Other good things happening: one of my students defended her dissertation yesterday! I watched on Zoom, and it was really amazing. She is a chemistry student (or was!) and will be going to work at Pfizer next month. She did a great job and although I didn’t know really anything that she was talking about, it was really great to watch. I am amazed how much I don’t know and I am so glad that others do work with all of these subjects I don’t understand at all.

Otherwise, this week seems to have flown by, as usual. The weather has been lovely but I’ve been inside too much. I have a few online seminars I’m attending this weekend and have a gig Sunday, but hope to get some outside time in. It feels like spring is here, and while that might not be entirely true, we are on our way. The weather gives us hope (as well as the hope I feel having gotten vaccinated).

I wasn’t sure this day would ever come.