It is time to stay in the warmth of my apartment for a few weeks. I will watch the world go by through the lens of the Global newsroom. I know that Albertans are reputed to be tough, but I am an absolute coward for three or four months a year. I have said it before, and I will repeat it now: I have an allergy to snow and cold. This particular aversion manifests itself with uncontrollable shivers, often leading to a stuffed nose and a nagging cough. I can feel all of that sympathy coming at me in waves as you read these words. And those of you not in lock-step with me, please control your laughter.**
We have reached that imaginary point when politicians of all stripes first go to their respective corners and eventually come out swinging. The time for playing nice has come to an end. It is either a matter of each man to himself or, in this case, it is form a line behind one man, and we will take turns beating him with a stick. Politics, it would seem, takes no prisoners. And even though political foes may take brief holidays, their guns may be at rest, but they are perpetually loaded.**
The latest thing the opposition parties seem to be taking exception to is the expediency at which vaccines arrive. I once had an auto repair shop, and a popular one, if I do say myself. At any rate, further discussion about the quality of my work would be a digression on my part. However, I can give you some insight into the daily operation of my business.**
I opened the doors at seven AM. I had a big calendar pad on my desk to keep track of my daily bookings. I knew at a glance exactly what I was doing about one week in advance. Oddly enough, very little would go as planned. Mr. Johnson might come in for a routine brake inspection on Monday in the morning, but lo and behold, a simple inspection results in a seven-hour overhaul. My motto, as is the motto of many businesses is to underpromise and over-deliver. Actually, my other slogan was, “if I can’t fix it, it ain’t broke.” But yet again, I digress. My point is that two-hour jobs ran into ten or fifteen-hour nightmares, and my little schedule pad required many alterations. Sometimes I even had to start anew with a new pad.
My point, and I do have a one, is that despite any setbacks and re-organization in the end, I was only one man. For the most part, my customers were faithful to my brand and understood that a delay was imminent due to extenuating circumstances.**
That is what I did when faced with a time crunch; prioritization was the order of the day, and my customers understood. Somewhere north of seven point five billion people on the planet. A good portion of them will or would be interested in receiving a vaccine for covid. Pfizer is retooling to increase production; I am not sure precisely what Moderna’s problem is, but we must remember that Canada is a small ship in a vast ocean. Simply put, the vaccine is on the way, and we must hold out the hope that whatever is causing glitches in the supply chain will be rectified. The truth is that the pharmaceutical companies are essentially holding the cards, and we are waiting desperately to see them deal them. When I had that little auto repair shop, I worked a lot of overtime, but I satisfied the customers. Between Pfizer, Moderna, and soon to be Johnson and Johnson, the pharmaceutical companies cannot be forced, even at gunpoint, to give a concrete timeline. I think that the Liberal government should hold out until late-February and force a confidence vote, and we will see where Canadians stand. It is my opinion that the pandemic has been dealt with responsibly. Let us hope our consignors act in a like manner because you cannot force them at gunpoint, as I have alluded to.**
There is one more small thorn in my side before calling it a wrap. This one has to do with vaccinations also, more specifically, whether or not folks are willing to take one. I have heard anything from seventy-five to ninety percent saturation is required for “herd immunity. And both of those are scary numbers. There is a percentage of people who cannot take the vaccine for medical or religious reasons. Then some refuse to take it for “philosophical ” reasons although I don’t understand that premiss. Even after mustering a nine out of nine mark in a university ethics course.**
It will take a tremendous concerted effort to rid ourselves of this menace. And those of you who conscientiously object may have to unwillingly opt-in, in other words, “take one for the team.” Keep in mind that this is no time to get philosophical on us. This tired old sphere needs a break, much like most of us; A return to something akin to normalcy would be a breath of fresh air.**
If you get the opportunity to check out “Deep Freeze A Byzantine Festival,” do take a peek, it is worth the time. Part of the festival this year extends to Borden Park. Search their website for all the festivities. In the meantime, have a wonderful week. Keep a suitable physical distance, wash your hands, cover your cough, and for all of our sake, please wear a mask. Love Art
From the desk of Art Lane
