The photo above was taken back in 2018 during our Amazon trip. I have posted about some of this adventure before. This was a cruise where we went up the better part of the Amazon on an ocean-going cruise ship. The city above, which looks modern, was not truly ready for cruise ships and clods of tourists, but certainly ready to find a way to extract money from them. I say this not disdainfully. They are poor and enterprising people just trying to find a way to stay ahead while living under a corrupt regime with horrible inflation. Three to five percent of the total income of Brazil is lost to corruption. It is a tragic way of life. (Of course, our Congress allows wealthy companies to write the legislation that helps them avoid taxes, so we certainly cannot pretend purity here.)
The city was muddy, rainy, and busy. The people were poor but polite. There was criminal behavior. I have emblazoned on my brain the face of a man in his fifties that just wanted to take people on a bicycle/cart ride around the city for some money. He waited patiently at the dock as each passenger disembarked. It was horribly rainy and so no one was willing to ride. His face was so unbearably sad. My husband gave him some money, but that would not stop the suffering he faced each day and would feed his children for only a short time.
This is the city where the Brazil variant of COVID emerged in early December of last year. The more contagious brand. Manaus already had 75% of people infected [in the spring of last year]. Now 27 to 50% were vulnerable to this new version. It just does not seem fair. Why must some people suffer so? Why is empathy now considered a weakness among leaders in the U.S. and other countries?
At mid-day, I am going with hubby to a drive-through facility where he will get his second shot. He got no reaction to the first, but I am hearing a second can sometimes make you feel as if you are coming down with the flu--a simple trade-off to avoid the hospital oxygen tent. It does appear that by the end of spring the majority of Americans will be protected from hospitalization and/or death if not from getting sick even with the current varients, so that is a good thing!
Please be kind to others. It is so hard these days to just put one foot in front of the other.
We have had our second shot with no reactions.
ReplyDeleteTabor, we had no reaction to the first, but have heard from some (not all) that they did have some reaction to the second. Hope your hubby does fine.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the reminder to be kind. I was having some unkind thoughts about someone I should be close to. Walking in other peoples shoes can be a tight fit.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI snoozed most of the day after my second shot, not exactly a bad side effect and brief. :-) Other than that easy peasy and the same with my sister who is 20 years younger than I. A agree with Linda Reeder, thanks for the reminder. Maybe I should write it in marker on my hand. And being kind makes our way easier as well. Hugs to you.
ReplyDeleteThoughtful post
ReplyDeleteI thought by the title you were looking for something tangible. Being empathic, feeling empathy many people, I believe do. Being an empath, I feel, can too often be unpleasant way to live.
There is so much poverty and sadness in the world. I'm hoping America can now think of helping instead of pushing everybody away. My mother had no reaction to the second shot and neither did my husband. I'll be getting my second shot on Monday. I'm hoping I'll get the same mild reaction.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I can gather, that country is in a heckuva mess.
ReplyDeleteI agree with AC, the country is in a real mess, but it's not limited to the borders of my country. The whole world is suffering. I will get my second shot in a couple more weeks. I too hope for a mild, if any, reaction.
ReplyDeleteIt is great your husband has the second shot. I hope the vaccine spreads quickly throughout the world later this year as well.
ReplyDeleteSo right, Tabor! Just putting one foot in front of the other is difficult.
ReplyDeleteSo right, Tabor! Just putting one foot in front of the other is difficult.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like your Amazon trip made you more sad than happy. Yes, I am dreading my second COVID vaccine as well as eager to have it. My sister had a terrible reaction but was back to 100% by the 3rd day.
ReplyDeleteIt was, Granny Annie. I often wonder to what extent the good balances the bad with the exploration of the world. I continue to carry his face.
DeleteI was so disappointed that I could not have my second covid vaccine today due to having gotten sick over the week-end with one of my bad reactions to Nightshades. It's one of those things that left no choice but to cancel and hope I can get it reset after enough time has passed. I admit I cried. I wanted it over with
ReplyDeleteWe live in a house that has major problems that we can't fix. We do not have a lot of things many people consider essential these days. Yet i know that compared to the rest of the world, and to most people who have ever lived, we are most richly blessed with a lifestyle beyond imagining.
ReplyDeleteYes, i have empathy for all who face each day wondering if there will be enough. We have days like that, but they aren't every day.
Praying your husband has no reaction to his second vaccine.
He had no reaction beyond a sore arm this time. I just hope I can get a new date for my second. I probably won't be as fortunate as him but better that than getting Covid. My husband lost a friend in February who had only had it two weeks. It can take someone fast and the guy was not yet 65.
DeleteSo sorry to read about your friend. My daughter and her whole family caught it, were sick for a long weekend and then are now well again. She said she had been so afraid for so long!
DeleteBeautiful golden sunset but sadly humans were not created equal. It is sad when something essential is considered luxury to another. I am from Malaysia, the vaccines have just been given to the front liners. Mine will be in April sometime. Following your blog.
ReplyDeletemy reaction to the second shot was relatively mild. a little achiness and lethargy. I slept or lounged around most the next day.
ReplyDeleteThere is sometimes too much suffering in the world to be able to do anything. And I agree kindness must always be at the front of our mind.
ReplyDelete