Opinion: Deciding To Get Vaccinated & Wear A Mask Was Not An Easy One. Here’s Why I Did Anyway by Rick London

I’d like to discuss something important.

I’ve been putting it off a very long time as I tend to (try to be) a live and let live type in my later years.

Most who know me personally, know I have butted heads with Big Pharma from time to time.  Sometimes I turned out to be right, and sometimes not. 

My personal preference in medicine tends to be naturopathic medicine from herbs, flowers and plants.  In many cases these work beautifully. In other cases they are just hype.   The same is so for allopathic pharmaceuticals. 

To say my emotions are mixed would be an understatement.

Lee, my beloved wife will tell you, I’ve spent a good deal over the past few years perusing peer-reviewed research regarding viruses (particularly in the Corona family) i.e. Covid-19 being one. 

I’d like to ask all my friends who enjoy and appreciate life and consider it a gift to consider being vaccinated.   The new Delta variant is much deadlier than the first wave. 

I’ve heard all the misinformation, conspiracy theories, evil doings behind the scenes, etc.

I can only ask that you believe me when I tell you they are not true.

But I’ll tell you something more important than that. 

When founding father Benjamin Franklin was not certain about a tough decision, he drew a “T”.  On the left side he named “Positives” and the right side was named “Negatives”. 

He listed all the positives and negatives on either side of the horizontal line in this “T” letter.   I did the same thing.   I named mine “risks” and “rewards”.   While studying (mostly peer-reviewed studies), I learned the rewards of being vaccinated far outweigh the risks of not getting it.

Even if one does not think the vaccination is a positive thing, think of it like you would any other important decision.  I am a relatively healthy person (even though I have heart disease and other health issues) that I developed years ago when my lifestyle was not so healthy.  At the risk of sounding overly-dramatic, I have come close to death on more than one occasion.

And what about masks?  I hate wearing a mask in public (I don’t wear one in my car or at home).  But I do in public.  Are they as effective as a hazmat suit?  Of course not.  The right mask worn properly, combined with being vaccinated provide a safety net that you’ll get nowhere else.

I have nothing to gain from this.  I own no stock in any vaccine manufacturer, mask maker, etc.  I only want my friends to be healthy.

This is an excerpt from Columbia Law School’s Newsletter…..

“As Tom Cruise famously exclaimed in A Few Good Men, “It’s not what I believe but what I can prove!” Though anti-maskers believe the Constitution supports their argument, they can’t prove it. Using the Constitution to support an argument against wearing masks is insincere and would turn that document into a suicide pact. The Supreme Court has never interpreted the Constitution as anti-maskers insist, and decades ago, neither did people of similar ideology.

Anti-maskers offer no textual support for their position because none exists. If anti-maskers can put aside the politics that infect this discussion, maybe they will understand that the call for mask-wearing isn’t a step toward governmental tyranny but, rather, a constitutionally-based step toward preserving humankind.”

The whole spirit of the Constitution is written to protect the well-being of Americans.  Sometimes that takes an effort on our part.  This time it certainly does.

General George Washington knew quite a bit about the Constitution.  I can only imagine that is why he commanded his entire military to be vaccinated against smallpox (which saved a great many lives).

If George can do it, so can we.  Thank you for your consideration.

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Surprise From Mayo Clinic Awhile Back by Rick London

Part of the Mayo Clinic Lucy Medical Library Cartoon Collection

I remember a funny experience with Mayo Clinic back around 2014.  I received a call from the clinic’s librarian who had seen several cartoons we had created which included Mayo Clinic.  

The very nice librarian asked me if I could she could buy the two cartoons to put up in “The Lucy Library” at Mayo.  The library’s founder, a Dr. Lucy, one of the early Mayo Clinic’s doctors back in the ‘50s or ‘60s was a big collector of cartoons,  particularly cartoons that mentioned Mayo Clinic.  Dr. Lucy had a collection that remains in The Lucy Gallery located in the Mayo Clinic Library. I assured her I would donate them to their good cause and did so.

Today, I was reading several articles about laughter, humor, and its effect on the immune system, which has always been of interest to me as an adult.  Humor and faith are two of my coping mechanism, especially as we all make our way into a new world, in hopes surviving what challenges and/or obstacles await us. 

I found myself in a “loop of articles”, and got a chance to learn new information that I did not know.  A little of it I knew, but not even close to what new research has found.  That loop eventually led me to research by Mayo Clinic regarding humor and the immune system.

Laughter isn’t just a quick pick-me-up, though. It’s also good for you over the long term. Laughter may:

Mayo reports on their website that laughter and humor improves your immune system. Negative thoughts manifest into chemical reactions that can affect your body by bringing more stress into your system and decreasing your immunity. By contrast, positive thoughts can actually release neuropeptides that help fight stress and potentially more-serious illnesses.

 Relieve pain. Laughter may ease pain by causing the body to produce its own natural painkillers.

 Increase personal satisfaction. Laughter can also make it easier to cope with difficult situations. It also helps you connect with other people.

Improve your mood. Many people experience depression, sometimes due to chronic illnesses. Laughter can help lessen your depression and anxiety and may make you feel happier.

According to Mayo’s research, these are short and long-term effects of laughter. 

I’ve also noticed that for the past 1.5 years, in my shops that usually sell T-shirts, mugs, etc., all relatively inexpensive items, now only purchase postcards and occasionally buttons or greeting cards, but mostly postcards. 

I’m fine with that.  I didn’t get into this business for the money; though trying to make a good income was on the radar, I never had the ambition to make enough to fly funny looking rockets into space.

So we’ve lowered the cost of our postcards for a limited time to 50 cents each including free personalization.  If you purchase 2 or more, they don’t have to be the same cartoon card.  Order a bunch of different ones thinking of the type humor each friend or family member has. They won’t forget it.

It can be shipped straight to you or to the person(s) you wish to send.  It is easy to type the message on your keyboard.  We have fonts that look like real cursive writing.

My point is, everyone deserves to have a working immune system.  And if you can find natural methods to boost it to thrive, all the better.  And what better way to send a gift for 50c.  Or 100 of them for $50. Or 500 of them for only $250  Coincidentally, we will be 25 years old in March, 2022.

I founded Londons Times Cartoons & Gifts in 1997. It became Google #1 ranked in 2005 where it has remained since that time.  You can visit my Zazzle Giftshop and take advantage of the postcard sale today. 

Nothing feels better than giving the gift of health and laughter…for under $1.