SHOT & READY

SHOT & READY

So it has been an insane almost 15 months, living in this crazy World, birthed through Covid-19. The GLOBAL PANDEMIC we all have been trying to navigate. 

The PANDEMIC has touched every corner of the EARTH. EVERY CORNER OF THE EARTH. No one was spared. It DID/DOES not matter what color you are, how much money you have, where you live or what your beliefs are. 

EVERY ONE OF US WAS & ARE VULNERABLE. 

Many will CONTACT &   RECOVER. Many will have long standing side effects.  Some will be carriers and never get sick. Many will recover FULLY. 

That being said, many were not so lucky. As of today the numbers of deaths both WORLDWIDE and here in the UNITED STATES are as follows. 

WORLDWIDE                     3,342,529

UNITED STATES                    582,140

THESE ARE NOT JUST NUMBERS. THESE ARE LIVES LOST.  TRAGIC.

It has been documented that our brothers and sister of color have been disproportionately affected over the white population.   MY QUESTION IS WHY?

I was not going to get the vaccine. I had ABSOLUTELY NO INTEREST. I was 100% sure that I was not going to take the vaccine. 

I am the type of person who believes whatever is going to or meant to happen in life is going to happen. Me not wanting to get the vaccine was my choice. 

But after some thought, and the year we just LIVED THROUGH, AND MOURNING THE LOSS THAT THE GLOBE WAS SUFFERING WITH ALL THOSE LOST. 

I decided that getting VACCINATED was THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

Like I said I was not fearful for my own well being. My decision was made because so many families have been FOREVER AFFECTED by the tragic loss of their loved ones. 

I CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE. 

Many families sent their loved ones off to the hospital, NEVER to see them in person again. Having to say their goodbyes through a SKYPE CALL. INSANE. 

How sad and lonely for those dying and scared, not being able to have their loved ones with them as they TRANSITIONED. WHAT A FUCKED YEAR. 

So not only were they not  able to be with them while they died. They als were not able to give them a proper send-off.  My friends mom died and I was invited to attend her services on YOUTUBE. SO CRAZY.  But at the same time GRATEFUL that new ways of honoring our loved ones and saying goodbye were created. 

In the early days, so , so difficult.  Today countries like India are now suffering tremendous loss with close to 4000 people a day dying and having to handle that loss as best as they could I GUESS? There they are doing MASS CREMATIONS. It is all almost too much to handle.

So for those reasons I decided that I would get vaccinated. For the 3,342,529 WORLDWIDE AND COUNTING & the 582,140 in the USA AND COUNTING BEAUTIFUL SOULS WHO NEVER GOT THAT OPTION.

They never got that option because there was no vaccine available. 

SO IN HONOR OF THOSE LOST DECIDED TO GET MINE. 

Not out of FEAR, but out of LOVE & SORROW for all those who WISHED they had a CHOICE & CHANCE and for their loved ones who are now FOREVER without their loved ones and having to learn how to DO LIFE IN THE ABSENCE OF THEIR LOVED ONES.

MY HEART HURTS FOR ALL OF YOU. I AM SORRY. 

Hooping that you all will feel your loved ones and receive messages from them that they DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE BUT THEY ARE OK AND WILL ALWAYS BE WITH YOU. 

I am completely vaccinated and feel really good about my decision to do so.   EVERYONE OF US MUST DO LIFE THE WAY IT WORKS BEST. 

I AM READY TO RESUME LIFE IN WHATEVER FORM IT IS GOING TO TAKE ON. 

SPRING IS A TIME FOR NEW BEGINNINGS. THAT MEANS DIFFERENT THINGS FOR ALL OF US. ESPECIALLY AFTER THE YEAR THAT WE ALL HAD. 

WISHING EVERYONE JOY ON THE JOURNEY. FOR MANY THE JOY MAY BE DELAYED DUE TO LOSS AND SUFFERING. SENDING LOVE TO ALL.

REMEMBER THERE IS ALWAYS LIGHT........THE BRIGHTEST LIGHT IS USUALLY AFTER THE DARKNESS. 

PEACE AND LOVE.

 

5 DAYS TILL 55

 5 DAYS TILL 55. 

WOW. HOW THE HELL ARE WE HERE SO FAST.

It is so hard to believe that I am days away from being 55 YEARS OLD. 

Time goes REALLY, REALLY FAST.

It is INSANE. 

Lesson. LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST. DO WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY.

We get to decide for OURSELVES. Live life UNAPOLOGETICALLY. BE KIND. BE GRATEFUL FOR THE JOURNEY. 

What I have learned in 55 years is that we are only here for a short amount of time in the BIG PICTURE. 

Living Life any other way than what your heart desires is a TRAGEDY.

For me the only way I have been able to do life is on MY OWN TERMS for the most part. 

We must find a way to be PASSIONATE about the LIVES WE ARE LIVING.

For years I have said the more time Joe(ME) has for Joe, the HAPPIER JOE IS AND EVERYONE ELSE AS WELL.

I was a person who never wanted initials or a title after my name. I just never wanted the RESPONSIBILITY to have to look after anyone other than MYSELF. 

I wanted to create a life that I can DO WHAT I WANTED TO DO. WHEN I WANTED TO DO IT.

My journey like most of us has been filled with obstacles, challenges  and sacrifices. IT IS PART OF LIFE. 

There have been times, years for that matter that due to bad choices that I have made the journey and struggles may have more difficult than they needed to be. PERHAPS? 

But I also believe whatever OBSTACLES or CHALLENGES we go through were meant for us as LESSONS to make us the COMPLEX, IMPERFECTLY, PERFECT WORKS OF PROGRESS THAT WE ARE. 

We must EMBRACE IT ALL.

In my time here on this journey, I have had the good fortune of realizing at a very young age due to all of the loss of life that I was witness to and BLESSED TO HAVE KNOWN SO MANY WONDERFUL PEOPLE IN MY LIFE. 

I knew that we can always make money during our time here. The one thing that is truly PRECIOUS is the TIME we will be here. 

WE OWN IT TO OURSELVES TO CREATE A LIFE THAT WE WANT TO LIVE THAT FILLS OUR SOULS. 

Not only that. But to be of SERVICE and BE PRESENT and to lift others UP. 

WE ALSO NEED TO BE WILLING TO ALWAYS BE LEARNING & OPENING OUR HEARST AND MINDS to things and people who are different that US. 

BY DOING THIS OUR LIVES WILL BE ENRICHED TO A LEVEL YOU WILL NOT UNDERSTAND UNTIL YOU CHOOSE TO LIVE WITH AN OPEN HEART.

I AM GRATEFUL FOR MY JOURNEY. ALL OF IT. 

I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU WHO HAS JOURNEYED WITH ME. DOES NOT MATTER IF IT WAS FOR A MINUTE OR FOR MY WHOLE JOURNEY SO FAR. 

I WISH YOU ALL JOY, HAPPINESS, LOVE, HEALTH & ABUNDANCE.

This year was one for the books. It was probably one of my more difficult ones thus far. 

NO SURPRISE. I am sure many would say the same thing. But it did give us the time weather we were conscience or not the time to go inside and reflect, contemplate how we would like to move forward as we enter this new normal we collectively would like to live. 

JUST LIVE. LIVE LIFE NOW. 

FIND WHATEVER GROUNDS YOU AND GO FOR THE LIFE YOU WANT. 

THANK YOU FOR ALL THE LOVE AND SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.