Roll Up Your Sleeves

Last week I called the Lee County, Florida phone number for COVID-19 vaccination, to see if I could get an appointment. As you can imagine, call volumes were high, and I was unsure if I would get through. I received a 10:15AM slot for the next day and was told to get to the site 45 minutes early.

I am here to tell you that the Lee County Department of Health, the paramedics, the sheriff's department, the nurses, the Moderna staff, the inmates who baked cookies distributed on site, and everyone else involved with the vaccine-by-appointment program created a perfect experience.

As soon as I arrived, a young lady working said to me, "happy vaccine day."

Everyone, and I mean everyone, associated with this task flat-out nailed it to the highest level of efficiency I have ever seen. I have been a part of teams running events of all shapes and sizes, and what we did simply pales in comparison. A standing ovation to all involved in Lee County!

Receiving the vaccine itself was highly emotional, and eerily sad as well. To see so many people lined up to receive a vaccine to prevent being a statistic... I honestly cannot explain it. The experience is overwhelming.

The world is at its knees. It's time to roll up our sleeves and do our part if we are to have any return to normalcy. This isn’t about political lines, affiliations, religious beliefs, race, or any other description of whom or what you represent. This is about human beings. All of us. So many have died; so many lives have been forever altered by this unwanted chapter of our lives.

When you get your vaccine, whenever that may be, take a minute and think, and thank everyone you see. Be kind. Be nice. Be human.