Thread by @gradydoctor

1/
Grady Lobby

You: "Y'all dead set on trying to get folks to take that devil shot, ain't you?" *shakes head*
Me: *shrug* "I'm pretty dead set on trying to stop this virus from killing and disabling folks. So if that means getting a shot, I guess so."

You snorted.

2/
Me: "How you doing today?"
You: "Say what now?"
Me: "I mean, seeing as you rolled up on me throwing shade I figured we could at least get cool first."

*laughter*

You: "I'm good. But I damn sure ain't taking that devil shot. You can bet on that."
Me: *listening*

3/
You: "And low key--I feel some type of way about siccing Black folks on other Black folks to get them to take that shit."
Me: *raising eyebrows* "Ouch."
You: "I'm for real. I feel like they got y'all hoodwinked and bamboozled, too."

*silence*

Me: "I hear you."

4/
It was the start of the lunch hour and things had quieted a bit at the #NoJudgmentZone table. I decided to engage you further---even though it was pretty clear that you weren't deliberating about whether or not to be vaccinated.

Me: "You know? I'm kind of glad you said that."

5/
You furrowed your brow in surprise.

Me: "I mean. . . I've kind of wondered if any of my people felt that way. Like I'm some sort of. . I don't know. ."
You: "Puppet? Pawn?"
Me: "Damn. Tell me how you really feel."

*laughter*

Me: "I wasn't going to say that."
You: *shrug*

6/
I felt a wave of hurt feelings ripple over me and steadied myself. You weren't trying to hurt my feelings. In fact, I decided that you just felt comfortable being honest. Plus, I needed to hear this perspective.

I did.

Me: "I look at it differently, you know?"

7/
Me: "Like. . . I've seen first hand how bad this can be. And also how bad it is on people who aren't vaccinated. So yeah. I'm going pretty hard."

*silence*

Me: "And I think puppets and pawns are controlled by someone. That's not how I feel."
You: "I guess."

8/
I braced myself once more.

Me: "Can I ask you something?"
You: "I'm listening."
Me: "You called it a 'devil shot.' Is it a religious reason for your feelings about the vaccine?"
You: "Nah. I ain't even that person. But I do think it's made to just get somebody rich."

9/
Me: "And the somebody is. . . the devil?"
You: "The devil that always win in America. Some rich white man sitting up on high some place. It's probably not even nothing in half of them shots."

Now that was a new one for me. I leaned my chin into my hand and listened.

10/
You: "And if it is, ain't no telling what. Or we getting a different one that don't work."
Me: "Hmmm."
You: "I ain't letting nobody shoot me up with nothing. I'm gon' pass on the syphilis."

You laughed. I did not.

11/
Me: "Wait. You know when that stuff happened with syphilis it wasn't that they gave folks syphilis, it's that they didn't treat them."
You: "Whatever it was it was effed up."

*silence*

Me: "So just to be clear: On a scale of 0 - 10--10 being I'll take it--you're zero?"

12/
You: "I'm like. . . a point 5."
Me: *squinting* "Reeeally?"
You: "Because my job saying we have to. And I'm probably not gon' have a choice."
Me: *listening*
You: "Which is real, real messed up."

*silence*

Me: "Hospitals being packed and folks dying is messed up, too."

13/
Me: "So . . .I want to be sure I understand why you don't want to be vaccinated. It's that you think it's to make someone rich and potentially do you harm or give you a dummy shot?"
You: "Yup. That and the fact that for every got damn thing else nobody care if I live or die."

14/
Me: "Okay."

*silence*

Me: "It sounds like you've thought a lot about this. And honestly? I'm sitting here to try to talk this thang through with folks who are still deciding. You seem to have your mind made up already."
You: *listening*
Me: "But can I tell you one thing?"

15/
Me: "I do care if you live or die."
You: "Well that makes one person."

You laughed again. Again, I did not.

Me: "Listen. If I didn't give a damn about you, there's no way I'd even be talking to you this long. I'd have told you to kick rocks 5 minutes ago."

*laughter*

16/
You: "Naw. You just bored."
Me: "Fam, my shift was over 10 minutes ago. And I'm hungry. Trust me, ain't that much bored in the world."

That seemed to soften you a bit.

Me: "So, here's the thing. You're young. And you seem to be a thinker."

17/
Me: "I just want to give you some more stuff to think on, okay?"
You: *listening*
Me: "Number 1--I care if you live or die. 2--I care if something disables you. And 3--the folks here in Georgia dying of #COVID since January? They ain't vaccinated. And that's facts."

18/
You: "Not all of them."
Me: "Okay. 99% though. And that's who died. That doesn't even mention people that recover and are messed up after."

*silence*

Me: "I feel more scared of something disabling me sometimes more than even dying."
You: "That's deep."

19/
Me: "What about you?"
You: "I never really thought about that."
Me: "Not being able to do you at 100% is a big deal."

You gave a slow nod.

Me: "So think on that."
You: "I will, actually."

*silence*

Me: "You got any other questions? 'Cause I'm hungry."

*laughter*

20/
You: "Okay. Maybe you ain't what I thought."
Me: "What -- a pawn? Damn. That was cold."

*laughter*

You: "No but for real. I expected you to be on a script."
Me: *listening*
You: "'Cause people be on scripts with us."

I didn't know what to say to that. So I just nodded.

21/
I gathered my stuff and stood up.

Me: "Alright, fam. I hope you'll keep thinking on it."
You: "You know what? This is the most I've thought about it taking that shot since it came out."
Me: "In a good way?"
You: "Uhh. . .kind of. .yeah."

I walked around the table.

22/
Me: "That's what's up." *pause* "And hey--if you want to talk more or change your mind, come by and holler at your girl. I got you."
You: "I will."
Me: "Good stuff."

We exchanged fist bumps. And that was it.

I'm so glad I met you.

Yeah.

#blackwhysmatter
#dcthescript