Better Late than Never
I am habitually tardy.
When I started kindergarten, I was four years old. Now, you might think I was early to the party, but this actually was the start of a long life of being the last one of my friend group.
You see, the cutoff for kindergarten was October 1. You had to turn 5 by or before October 1. So, I was one of the youngest people in my grade.
This means I was the last to turn 5.
I was the last to become double digits.
I was the last to be a teenager.
Last of my friends to get my driver’s permit and license.
Last to turn 18. In fact, I was 17 when I started college.
My senior year of college, my 5 other roommates had to wait 3 whole weeks for me to turn 21 for us to be allowed to have alcohol in our apartment.
Okay, Jamie… what does this have to do with anything? (you’re asking).
The thing is, I haven’t had that “last one there’s a rotten egg” feeling in quite a long time. Once you enter adulthood and, “the real world,” people don’t really care about your age as much.
But this feeling of waiting while all my peers got to do something cool came up again, this time in a different way:
VACCINES!
I FINALLY got my covid-19 vaccine! (Well, the first dose)
Jim is in nursing school, so he was one of the first people to get the shot. My sister works at a hospital, so she was right up there. My parents were not too far behind.
Many of my friends are teachers or work in the school system, so they were able to get their shots last month. Friends in different states had different rollout plans, so a bunch of them were able to get theirs earlier.
I’m seeing all my friends on facebook posting their cards and their sticker and I am SO PROUD AND HAPPY FOR THEM!
But I’m also like….
WHEN IS IT MY TURN?!?!?!
I’ve been waiting patiently (or trying to) for months now, and I am so happy to say that today I got my first shot!
I pre-registered on the Mass-Vaccination site, and after 6 tries, I lucked out and got a (relatively) early appointment. Only problem is it was about an hour and a half away.
WORTH IT.
My wonderful mother agreed to go with me, (Jim says: “Your mom is way too nice to you”) and she met me at my apartment early this morning to drive to the appointment. We jammed out to 90s hits while sipping coffee in morning traffic and trying to stay awake.
We got there half an hour too early, and snuck into the BJs next door for a bathroom break. Then we took a walk around the parking lot to stretch our legs. It was about 36° out and very VERY windy, but it was nice to walk around all the same.Then we sat in the car for a few more minutes and I finished off the last of my coffee. And then it was time!
I walked in with my mom on my elbow, and we were directed through the building (formerly a circuit city) to the first waiting room. We waited for maybe one minute, and then were directed over to a table.
The woman there scanned the QR code on my phone and ran through a series of questions, then I pulled up my sleeve and held my mommy’s hand. A quick prick and it was done. Barely felt it.
She gave me my vaccination card and then sent us off to the observation room for the next 20 minutes. Nothing exciting happened (thank goodness). And then back to the car for the long drive home.
And that’s it!
I am now halfway to being fully vaccinated against covid-19. In three weeks I get my second dose, and after two more I will FINALLY be able to HUG MY FRIENDS AGAIN!
(Who, as you’ll recall from earlier in this post, are already vaccinated.)
Better late than never!