1/
Grady Primary Care Clinic, last week
Me: “I know other people have mentioned this to you already, but just wanted to check in about the #COVIDVaccine. I’m told you’re still thinking about it.”
You: “Yeah.”
*silence*
Me: “Wait, so yeah, you thinking about it?”
You: “Yeah.”
Grady Primary Care Clinic, last week
Me: “I know other people have mentioned this to you already, but just wanted to check in about the #COVIDVaccine. I’m told you’re still thinking about it.”
You: “Yeah.”
*silence*
Me: “Wait, so yeah, you thinking about it?”
You: “Yeah.”
2/
*laughter*
Me: “Would you be okay with me talking to you a little more about it? Like, to give you more things to consider as you deliberate about it?”
You: “Yeah.”
You gave one eyebrow a playful raise.
Me: “Yeah?”
You: “Yeah.”
*laughter*
Me: “Would you be okay with me talking to you a little more about it? Like, to give you more things to consider as you deliberate about it?”
You: “Yeah.”
You gave one eyebrow a playful raise.
Me: “Yeah?”
You: “Yeah.”
3/
You: “Although I think I done heard everything you ‘bout to say.”
I gave a hard nod and thought for a moment.
Me: “Okay. Then I need your help.”
You: “Help how?”
Me: “I have your ear but I sort of don’t know what to say. So I’m hoping you can tell me what’s stopped you.”
You: “Although I think I done heard everything you ‘bout to say.”
I gave a hard nod and thought for a moment.
Me: “Okay. Then I need your help.”
You: “Help how?”
Me: “I have your ear but I sort of don’t know what to say. So I’m hoping you can tell me what’s stopped you.”
4/
You: *shrug*
Me: “Okay. That does NOT help me.”
*laughter*
Me: “Okay. How ‘bout I offer some categories. Like we could talk about stuff you’ve heard, side effects, why you need it, Omicron. . . or whatever you want.”
You: *shrug again* “I got all that already.”
You: *shrug*
Me: “Okay. That does NOT help me.”
*laughter*
Me: “Okay. How ‘bout I offer some categories. Like we could talk about stuff you’ve heard, side effects, why you need it, Omicron. . . or whatever you want.”
You: *shrug again* “I got all that already.”
5/
Me: “Well dang.”
*laughter*
Me: “So. . . what’s making it a no?”
You: “Real talk, I know so many people who would joke the shit out of me for getting that shot.”
Me: “Yeah?”
You: “Hell yeah. They’d be like, ‘Why you let them put that shit in you? You dumb.’”
*listening*
Me: “Well dang.”
*laughter*
Me: “So. . . what’s making it a no?”
You: “Real talk, I know so many people who would joke the shit out of me for getting that shot.”
Me: “Yeah?”
You: “Hell yeah. They’d be like, ‘Why you let them put that shit in you? You dumb.’”
*listening*
6/
You: “But I do know some people that got effed up over COVID. And died, too. Not from the #Omarion but still. So think about it then I’m like. . . nah.”
Omarion. As in, the R&B singer whose name has become community slang for Omicron. That Omarion.
Me: “I hear you.”
You: “But I do know some people that got effed up over COVID. And died, too. Not from the #Omarion but still. So think about it then I’m like. . . nah.”
Omarion. As in, the R&B singer whose name has become community slang for Omicron. That Omarion.
Me: “I hear you.”
7/
Me: “Well. Let me say this: Your medical decisions and record are your business. You don’t have to tell anybody anything. You know?”
You: *listening*
Me: “ I think you should be vaccinated. And I don’t think it’s too late and I do think you’ll still benefit from it.”
Me: “Well. Let me say this: Your medical decisions and record are your business. You don’t have to tell anybody anything. You know?”
You: *listening*
Me: “ I think you should be vaccinated. And I don’t think it’s too late and I do think you’ll still benefit from it.”
8/
Me: “If you’re open to it, I could have somebody come straight into this room and give it to you now. You wouldn’t have to go anywhere or jump through any hoops. And it’s YOUR business. People can’t joke you about what they don’t know about.”
*silence*
You: “Yeah. Okay.”
Me: “If you’re open to it, I could have somebody come straight into this room and give it to you now. You wouldn’t have to go anywhere or jump through any hoops. And it’s YOUR business. People can’t joke you about what they don’t know about.”
*silence*
You: “Yeah. Okay.”
9/
Me: “Yeah okay what?”
You pinched the nose of your mask and leaned back in the chair.
You: “I’m down for it.”
Me: “You down?”
You: “Yeah.”
Me: “Now?”
You: “Yeah.”
Instead of feeling triumphant, I felt conflicted.
Me: “Wait. So are all your concerns covered?”
You: “Yeah.”
Me: “Yeah okay what?”
You pinched the nose of your mask and leaned back in the chair.
You: “I’m down for it.”
Me: “You down?”
You: “Yeah.”
Me: “Now?”
You: “Yeah.”
Instead of feeling triumphant, I felt conflicted.
Me: “Wait. So are all your concerns covered?”
You: “Yeah.”
10/
You: “I been good there.”
Me: *listening*
You: “I just ain’t never thought about that part about it being my private business. That make sense to me.”
Me: *listening*
You: “Plus you the first one to keep pressing. Lately folks is like, ‘You ain’t vaccinated? Whatever, man.’”
You: “I been good there.”
Me: *listening*
You: “I just ain’t never thought about that part about it being my private business. That make sense to me.”
Me: *listening*
You: “Plus you the first one to keep pressing. Lately folks is like, ‘You ain’t vaccinated? Whatever, man.’”
11/
Me: “Yeah?”
You: *chuckling* “Yeah. You could tell. They be looking at you like, ‘If your dumb ass ain’t vaccinated that’s on you, fam.’ Sometimes somebody will ask you but it’s rushed and half-hearted. Now? You can tell they like ‘whatever, dumb ass.’”
*silence*
Me: “Yeah?”
You: *chuckling* “Yeah. You could tell. They be looking at you like, ‘If your dumb ass ain’t vaccinated that’s on you, fam.’ Sometimes somebody will ask you but it’s rushed and half-hearted. Now? You can tell they like ‘whatever, dumb ass.’”
*silence*
12/
You: *claps hands* “Okay. Let’s get it.”
Me: “Okay.”
*pause*
Me: “I’m still thinking about what you just said. Thanks for telling me that.”
You: “Telling you what?”
Me: “Telling me how we come across. I think I’ve been guilty of that.”
You: “Yeah?”
Me: *sigh* “Yeah.”
You: *claps hands* “Okay. Let’s get it.”
Me: “Okay.”
*pause*
Me: “I’m still thinking about what you just said. Thanks for telling me that.”
You: “Telling you what?”
Me: “Telling me how we come across. I think I’ve been guilty of that.”
You: “Yeah?”
Me: *sigh* “Yeah.”
13/
Yeah.
So without much pomp or circumstance, you got vaccinated. And we reaffirmed that it’s your business for you to tell on the mountain or lock in a safe.
And I promised to do better with continuing to press and realizing that it is still worth it.
Even now.
Yeah.
So without much pomp or circumstance, you got vaccinated. And we reaffirmed that it’s your business for you to tell on the mountain or lock in a safe.
And I promised to do better with continuing to press and realizing that it is still worth it.
Even now.
14/
I’m reflecting on the complicated long run of health & wellness in the time of Omarion. And on listening & meeting people where they are. And how sometimes the only thing we ALL need is another nudge to get out of the door.
Thank you for the nudge. I needed it.
Yeah.💛
I’m reflecting on the complicated long run of health & wellness in the time of Omarion. And on listening & meeting people where they are. And how sometimes the only thing we ALL need is another nudge to get out of the door.
Thank you for the nudge. I needed it.
Yeah.💛
P.S. Shout out to artist @Omarion for being such a great sport about the Omicron/Omarion references. I think his levity is welcomed in an otherwise difficult time.
Now, let me go download “Touch” and dance in my kitchen since I haven’t heard it in a while! That was the jam.👊🏽💃🏽
Now, let me go download “Touch” and dance in my kitchen since I haven’t heard it in a while! That was the jam.👊🏽💃🏽
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