This. Print and put in a file. Burn file after 10 years.

Not just that, but I want to choose who my money goes to. I do not want it funding abortions. And the taxing the rich that is going to pay for it won't work as we are very good at shielding the money. For us, it doesn't matter. He retired. We still give away a ton of money every year to homeless shelters, overseas missions, house where sex workers are recovering, habitat for humanity, disaster relief, etc. The capital gains tax won't affect us anymore because now all of our IRA's are ROTH. I'm glad we converted them. I am committed to making my community better. I just want to use it for the organizations and causes I believe help. I do not trust the government at all to use MY money wisely. And yes, it is OUR money...ok technically not, it is God's. But we have a responsibility to steward it well. I believe we do a better job than the government can.

I just don't know how we pay for all of this. Our country's debt is already so high. Where is the tipping point? I mean it all sounds absolutely wonderful and IF government provides all of that well, then great. History says it won't. But I guess we will see.

No. No. No. You do not want a painter painting your room when he is high on anything! Ask me how I know....police got involved.

Yes. tons and tons of jobs available, especially with restaurants. Most around here cannot staff, and are having to return to carry out only because they don’t have the staff. I think this may drive even more out of business. I don’t have a clue what the answer is.

Meh, just ok. Found it way too preachy for my taste. Felt more like a political statement than a fun movie. I do look forward to seeing a Black Captain America, but just found the speeches cringeworthy. Didn't like it for the same reason I hate most Christian movies. Let me bang you over the head with the point. I much prefer more subtlety and show, don't tell.

nm, too identifying.

I already did, but what is the point? I am a week and a half out.

Yes, from the hospital/health thing that sponsored it at the convention center. I skimmed through it. Just had possible reactions, wasn't much. Also threw away the hospital logo mask they gave me and about all of the wonderful services they could provide.

Interesting. We did not have anything like that at all.

What is that? Never heard of it. How did you do that?

That is interesting. I have had no follow up whatsoever. No one has checked at all.

Elizabeth, I get it. Believe me. I do. For me the thinking is more nuanced than what this board seems to try to portray. My community does not fit into the neat little boxes. The majority of people I know are middle class. They have continued to work throughout this pandemic. They are teachers, business owners, etc. They have worn masks where mandated, don't where it is not. All of them have been vaccinated and are happy to no longer wear masks. They did it to continue to live their lives. (I know. You need to wear a mask anyway sometimes. But the teacher I talked to at the shower was ecstatic that her district has already told them the mask requirement will be dropped next year. After all, all the teachers are vaccinated.) Then there is another section, some of them middle class, but in my personal circle they tend to be oil workers, plumbers, carpet installers, etc. They will not get the vaccine. Most of them ( all of them that I know) have already had Covid and feel it is no big deal. They distrust the government. Most doctors I know are getting it. A few are not. One is married to a woman who believes in the Bill Gates conspiracy. She doesn't live here. I only know her husband, not her really. For me, the big thing is always about will it harm other people. So I worried about myself dying from it, but more so my husband. I finally decided that it was better that I die so others can live. That is what it came down to. Because if I did not get the vaccine, I was likely to eventually get Covid and eventually spread it to some poor innocent person who would die. And I know that everyone on here says no one has died from it, look at the stats, blah blah blah. The truth is they cannot tell you for sure you will not have a bad reaction. You probably won't. So basically my thought process came down to, do I love myself/my reputation/my life or do I love my community more. I do not know your faith, but my faith tells me to lay down my life for a friend. So I did. Now, that said, I had a minor sore arm after the first and NOTHING after the second. Not a thing. I did all my normal stuff. My husband felt crappy after the first shot for one day, but I honestly ( and he does too) believe that his allergies from tilling the garden were flaring. He had no reaction at all to the 2nd shot. Our 26yo had no reaction to the first shot, and felt bad overnight with the second. If you have no contraindications for the shot, then I hope you choose to take it. I think it is the right thing to do. But believe me, I completely understand where you are.

I dont know that I value their opinion highly. I just miss having places to go and people to talk to. But about fun things or things going on. Probably why I have a ton of acquaintances and no close friends. Heck my husband and I dont talk about much other than logistics.

That just feels weird to me. Don’t have a clue what we would talk about if it wa not for band fundraising, or the next play about to be performed. I mean what do you talk about?

I don’t know what they think because I never see them!!! The only time I talk to people is when I am at places with them. I never talk to people outside of church or when youngest was in public school at football games. This one year of homeschooling has put me off the grid. I was rarely home before Covid hit. I had groups or extracurricular with kids every day. Now. I have no clue.

Or quietly ostracize you.

I know. They hated to do it. Her daughter needed a car. She has been out working after college for 3 years, but no one would sell it to her without it, despite the fact that she had spotless credit and a decent credit score. So they did. I am not sure what the other ones chose to do.

So sad. You are in deep East Texas. Yes, that is a very small hospital. I am very familiar with the area and they have been slammed harder than ours.

You might have to cosign . I have several friends whose kids are in great financial shape and needed to buy cars and houses. The banks have really clamped down and would not give tgem a loan without cosigning

I link to articles or honestly my new friens who are Black young women and their work as well. Or another friend who is white married to a black man who wrote a fabulous piece about her Christian response when someone called her kid a fing n... on a Zoom call. But I get crickets. I am already posting tgese kind of things once a week. No one ever responds. The only time I ever get comments is on fun family stuff.

That is good news about the vaccines being effective. Thank you very much for your input. I went to the shower, but didn't really enjoy myself. They prepared for 30, so did not have it in the fellowship hall, but a smaller area. I would guess there were 75 people or so in this small area. I was the only one wearing a mask until one of the hostesses saw me, and said, "Oh good. I will put mine on. I haven't been out and then this." I stayed for maybe 30 minutes. I know that all of the older people that were there were fully vaccinated, as well as some middle aged teachers that I knew. However, the bride and groom's family, nor all of the international students that were there, I have no idea. I tried to stay in the hall sort of, watched them open up my gift and then left. I feel so incredibly anti-social and like life has just completely gone on without me. Just the way it is I suppose. But I am ready to live life and enjoy myself. Sounds petty and selfish, I know. But I miss laughing ( I am one of those ladies that you can hear laughing across the room. I get teased about it...or used to.) Anyway, I am ok today. I am better able to cope with it some days more than others.

Just curious, the numbers they are posting numbers that show positivity very low (3%) and numbers like 3 per 100,000 with plenty of hospital availability. Is that not what you are seeing?

So many of you have said outside, but most of the events are not. But I understand the sentiments. I am going to the indoor shower today, but will double mask like I do in church and Sunday School. What will be hard will be next week when my husband will no longer mask in Sunday school, so I will be the only one masking if I choose to do so. He believes we will be fully protected and have no reason to. We are having our best friends out to the lake next week and will be outside. They will not be vaccinating for a variety of reasonable reasons. They wear masks around me because they know it makes me more comfortable, but are infrequent other than that. My close prayer group of 5 people is going to be meeting in person inside again. Only one of them has been vaccinated. I dearly love these ladies. One is best friend above. I want to get out and volunteer somewhere regularly. I will be looking for that. I am also starting an internship for school this summer and will be working at the church 2 mornings a week. But I think I get everyone's advice. It was helpful. Will just try to figure it out.

sorry wrong board