By Dennis Minich
One of my guilty pleasures was the television series “Supernatural.” I normally don’t like scary things and it was sacrilegious, but I liked it. It was about two brothers: Sam and Dean, who chased and killed all kinds of monsters. There were your regular monsters like ghosts and vampires and werewolves, but there were also some less widely known like rugarus and crocottas. In one episode, the pair ran across a type of creature no one had ever seen before. Since they were the first to ever encounter such a creature, Sam told Dean he had the right to name it. Dean said, “Jefferson Starships, because they are horrible and hard to kill.”
Last week our delivery driver, Jared, was out performing his chores when a reader told him to deliver a message to we folks at The Tribune, something to the effect of stop putting stories about COVID in the paper because he was tired of hearing and reading about it. So, because I do respect the feedback, for the remainder of this column, anytime I would want to use that nasty C-word, I will insert Jefferson Starship, because it sucks and we can’t get rid of it.
I can honestly say I am probably more tired of writing about Jefferson Starship than the reader is of reading about Jefferson Starship. In fact, I am probably more tired of dealing with the long-term effects of having had Jefferson Starship than he is of reading about Jefferson Starship.
Unfortunately, however much we don’t want it to be, Jefferson Starship is a very real story because Jefferson Starship continues to make people sick, Jefferson Starship continues to put people in the hospital and even if people don’t die of Jefferson Starship, they can still have many issues which were caused by Jefferson Starship.
Unfortunately, Jefferson Starship has become a political weapon nearly as deadly as the virus itself. On one side are a bunch of politicians and bureaucrats who are determined to control our lives by demanding we get shots and change how we live our lives because of Jefferson Starship. On the other side are a bunch of politicians and bureaucrats saying we shouldn’t get shots, don’t have to wear masks and are not scared of Jefferson Starship.
I will note while I have for over a year said, “Please wear a mask” and will also tell anyone who will listen, “Please get the vaccine,” I have never said to do it because you have to. What you do is still your business, but I really think it is only a minor concession to get a shot in the arm that can possibly keep you from getting Jefferson Starship and if you happen to catch it anyway, it may help minimize the problems. In other words, forget someone is telling you to do it, do it because it might help you and it might help others.
Last week I got to start pulmonary rehabilitation at Cass Regional Medical Center. It seemed like old times because before Jefferson Starship came about, I did cardiac rehab at the facility. They brought me back to better health and I am hoping the same for my new efforts.
When I was leaving, I noticed the bloodmobile was on site accepting donations. I have never donated blood before and I started to walk away. I never gave blood because it never seemed worth the hassle, there’s plenty of other people who donate, it might hurt and there’s nothing in it for me.
But it dawned on me one of the things I was treated with in the hospital when I arrived for Jefferson Starship was plasma donated by someone who had donated their Jefferson Starship-infused plasma. It wasn’t tested, it didn’t have FDA approval, but the doctor said it might help. I was willing to try anything to say alive.
While I couldn’t return the favor directly, I could help someone else by giving some blood. It was simple, took very little time and I got some free cookies. I received an email from the Community Blood Center calling me a “hero” for donating blood when may people are afraid to because of Jefferson Starship.
I am anything but a hero, but it was something I could do. And I will do it again, not because I have to or anyone is trying to make me, but it’s a good thing to do.
Whether it’s the fight against Jefferson Starship or just helping someone out who needs some blood, it sometimes pays to set our ego and fears aside a little and think about what might help someone else.
