Attention, all Hibernators!

The earth’s warmth, contracted into its core for the winter, is on the move, heading our way! Its front edge is due to reach the earth’s surface by the equinox in a few weeks! Don’t get caught sleeping through this one! Wake up, winter sleepers!

And of course, for you winter enthusiasts, it’s last call! Soak it up. It ain’t gonna last!

The plant called Hellebores Niger actually flowers in the winter.

So what’s the update?

National cases have plateaued at 65,000- 75,000 positive cases per day. In most regions less cases is the trend. Most experts think the summer will have very low case incidence, but there are unknowns about between now and then as well as long term.

Keep conscious of smart approaches! Outdoors is almost bulletproof, especially with distance. Masks and limiting exposure are still key.

Locally

Less is more. The downward case incidence continues in the Berkshires. Only 75 cases in the Berkshires over the last 7 days. Down another 6%.Furthermore, the number of COVID inpatients at BMC continues to DECREASE.

More is less. Vaccination administration counts climb, pass 60 million in the US.

Massachusetts vaccine roll out remains in the same grouping in Phase 2 (65 years of age and older and anyone with 2 of a list of certain medical problems). It’s hard to get an appointment but the forecast is that a vaccine surge is coming soon. Supply reinforcements are on the way. I predict pretty soon it’ll be your choice of venue and time.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has recognized Berkshire County as leading the state in the number of vaccines administered per capita. They also report that we have received the largest number of vaccine allocations per capita in the state.

Nice job Berkshires! Everyone is also reporting how well run the actual administration centers are.

Not without risk?

I think it’s important to address the concern about the serious illnesses and deaths (1000 deaths have been reported to the vaccine adverse event registry) that are being noted in direct proximity to the vaccine administration.

It’s notable that nationally every day nearly 850 people die suddenly due to heart attacks alone (2-3 cases per million). During mass vaccination efforts, it’s reasonable to theorize that a portion of the 1,000 deaths that have been reported to the vaccine adverse event registry are coincidental. But what if some are not. It needs a keen and open scientific approach.Even if all 1,000 deaths reported in the short period after vaccination are actually somehow linked to the vaccine, which is far from a given, even that worst case scenario, we are talking about 60 million shots here, in the US alone! 1,000 deaths is a small percentage of 60 million. That’s one in 60,000. Many scientists don’t think a large portion of those deaths if many at all can be attributed to the vaccine, but its important to note that they were reported.

Refreshing Scientific Statement!

And it was quite refreshing to hear this clear statement from the scientific community concerning the small risk mentioned above and the science around the new vaccines. It’s quite refreshing:

No intervention is without risk. Some of this will only become clearer with time.

“Please consider getting the vaccine, but even if you’re not a scientist educate yourself on the information being released from the clinical trials.

“We will do all we can to make the data as readily available and as transparent and as honest as possible.

“We don’t pretend to know all the answers, and we know that humility in the face of the the body’s amazing intelligence is the only way.

“We certainly recognize that the clearer and less biased our science is the closer we get to what can only be called the spiritual reality that lies behind all things.”

Amazing, right? To hear national scientists talk like that on prime time was really cool….Ok, you got me. Nobody said that. But wouldn’t it be nice to hear?

Conclusion

My overall point is that Life in the Industrial Age isn’t for the bashful.

If you deeply consider the great benefits that arise from our challenges (how else to best advance our inner qualities?), then you lose less energy on confusion or grief over needing to face adversity and have more energy for advancing your inner qualities.Some world leader once said something about dragging their countrymen into the 20th century kicking and screaming. It seems to me that nowadays we tolerate the scope of those antiquated shifts every week around here.

Here’s to your stamina and your inner game. You are worth it!