When I first started working at the General Assembly in the early 2000s, my boss encouraged me to go down to the IU Health flu shot room on Organization Day, the first day of the legislative session that's very much like the first day of school after summer vacation. At the time, I remember thinking I was pretty busy and also, I didn't need a flu shot. At some point during my tenure, I started making time to go down to get a flu shot, a habit which has extended into my post-General Assembly life.
Now, getting a flu shot and a COVID-19 booster has become a yearly practice that Mark and I engage in together. Often, we'll schedule for a Friday afternoon of a weekend when we don't have many plans because I often feel a little achy and fatigued after the appointment. This year, we went on Saturday morning, with breakfast at our favorite Metro Diner on the way home. All quite ordinary, which becomes extraordinary if I'm paying attention.
There's a Little Clinic at our local Kroger, and I can schedule our appointments via the same app I use to order our groceries for pick-up. The check-in process is easy, the waiting area is comfortable, and the care we receive is lovely. There's a kind and delightful LPN who cares for us at The Little Clinic, and even though she may not remember us, we remember her because her son is active duty Army like Pat is. This year, she's got an eight-month old grandchild to spend holidays with. Delight!
It's not hard to see how getting vaccinations supports my physical well-being, and one of my main intentions in getting vaccinated is that I've had flu over the years and COVID-19 one time. I would LOVE to never experience either ever again. In all likelihood, I probably will experience one or both again, so I hope that the vaccinations help me have an easier way to go if I do get sick.
Getting vaccinated also supports social well-being because I understand that we all breathe the same air and drink the same water. My hope is that by getting vaccinated, I make our sharing air and water a little safer for everyone and more accessible for anyone in a risk category, such as those who are younger, older, immuno-compromised, pregnant, etc. In addition, I've got a better chance of not missing out on time with others if I don't get sick with flu or COVID-19, or inadvertently getting somebody else sick.
Getting vaccinated supports my occupational well-being because there is less chance I'll get sick and need to reschedule a commitment to a client and/or need to ask Loretta for her help in covering for me. I may still get sick, but I've taken action to lessen the chances that I do.
Finally, getting vaccinated supports my spiritual well-being because it's an action that demonstrates my commitment to this gigantic group project we're all part of -- our living on this big rock at the same time. We're all interconnected, whether I can actually sense it all the time or not. My well-being affects yours, and yours affects mine.
The beauty of these well-being practices is they are available to each of us, here and now. We have agency to decide how we support our own and each other's well-being. I have chosen to get this year's flu and COVID-19 boosters, and I respect your right to choose to or not to. And we have the opportunity to engage with this practice in a place as ordinary as the grocery store or drug store.
Isn't that extraordinary?
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