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1/
#WhatsYourWhy
In front of Grady
Them: "Scuse me--did I see you on TV talking about the #COVIDVaccine?"
Me: "Hey there. I think so, yes."
Them: "I liked what you said."
Me: "Wow. I appreciate that."
The wind whipped around as we stepped aside for someone to pass.
#WhatsYourWhy
In front of Grady
Them: "Scuse me--did I see you on TV talking about the #COVIDVaccine?"
Me: "Hey there. I think so, yes."
Them: "I liked what you said."
Me: "Wow. I appreciate that."
The wind whipped around as we stepped aside for someone to pass.
2/
Them: "There was one thing I was wishing y'all had talked about. But I guess you can't go over everything."
Me: "You mind me asking what?"
They pulled their coat in tighter. I did my best to look like I wasn't in a rush.
Even though I kind of was.
Them: "It's okay."
Them: "There was one thing I was wishing y'all had talked about. But I guess you can't go over everything."
Me: "You mind me asking what?"
They pulled their coat in tighter. I did my best to look like I wasn't in a rush.
Even though I kind of was.
Them: "It's okay."
3/
Me: "Happy to give it a try if you think it might help you."
Them: *thinking* "I kind of feel like to a doctor it might seem stupid. But I know a whole bunch of people who wonder about this."
Their internal deliberation continued as the wind kept punishing us. I waited.
Me: "Happy to give it a try if you think it might help you."
Them: *thinking* "I kind of feel like to a doctor it might seem stupid. But I know a whole bunch of people who wonder about this."
Their internal deliberation continued as the wind kept punishing us. I waited.
4/
Them: "Is it a tracker or a tracer in the shot?"
I'd heard this before. But wanted to be sure we were thinking of the same thing.
Me: "Tell me what you mean."
Them: "Like. . . . I saw this thing that said they giving us this shot so that they can keep tabs on us."
Hmmm.
Them: "Is it a tracker or a tracer in the shot?"
I'd heard this before. But wanted to be sure we were thinking of the same thing.
Me: "Tell me what you mean."
Them: "Like. . . . I saw this thing that said they giving us this shot so that they can keep tabs on us."
Hmmm.
5/
Me: "You know? You aren't the first person to say something like that. I've heard that, too."
Them: "Yeah. Like, if they got all this technology to make a vaccine that fast, they probably got a way to really do that."
Me: *listening*
Them: "Plus, y'all do got tracers."
Me: "You know? You aren't the first person to say something like that. I've heard that, too."
Them: "Yeah. Like, if they got all this technology to make a vaccine that fast, they probably got a way to really do that."
Me: *listening*
Them: "Plus, y'all do got tracers."
6/
Me: "So when you say 'tracer' are you talking about something that would let somebody know where you are all the time?"
Them: "Exactly. And also they could do something to you if you go through a X-ray machine. Because a lot of the tracers show up on X-rays."
Me: "Gotcha."
Me: "So when you say 'tracer' are you talking about something that would let somebody know where you are all the time?"
Them: "Exactly. And also they could do something to you if you go through a X-ray machine. Because a lot of the tracers show up on X-rays."
Me: "Gotcha."
7/
Them: "So that's what's got me saying no. Like, I don't like the idea of somebody tracking me or marking me when I go in the airport."
Me: "Oh yeah. I forgot they have those scanners."
Them: *hard nod* "Mmm hmmm."
*pause*
Them: "I know it sound crazy. But you never know."
Them: "So that's what's got me saying no. Like, I don't like the idea of somebody tracking me or marking me when I go in the airport."
Me: "Oh yeah. I forgot they have those scanners."
Them: *hard nod* "Mmm hmmm."
*pause*
Them: "I know it sound crazy. But you never know."
8/
Me: "So you are right--we do have some tracers for things. Like, mostly we use them for special x-rays when we try to find where somebody is bleeding or a cancer."
Them: "Yeah, but how we supposed to know it ain't being used for something bad, too?"
I thought about that.
Me: "So you are right--we do have some tracers for things. Like, mostly we use them for special x-rays when we try to find where somebody is bleeding or a cancer."
Them: "Yeah, but how we supposed to know it ain't being used for something bad, too?"
I thought about that.
9/
Me: "You know? Let's think this through. So, let's say they did want to put a tracer in us. It would need to go straight into your vein. The vaccine goes in your shoulder muscle."
Them: *listening*
I started to just say, 'It's not a tracer in it.' But they deserved more.
Me: "You know? Let's think this through. So, let's say they did want to put a tracer in us. It would need to go straight into your vein. The vaccine goes in your shoulder muscle."
Them: *listening*
I started to just say, 'It's not a tracer in it.' But they deserved more.
10/
Me: "But real talk--here's what's in it: the mRNA which helps with you making antibodies, some sugar, some salt, and some lipid or fat."
Them: "What else though?"
Me: "I think one of them has some acid that's kinda like vinegar. But I'd need to double check that."
*silence*
Me: "But real talk--here's what's in it: the mRNA which helps with you making antibodies, some sugar, some salt, and some lipid or fat."
Them: "What else though?"
Me: "I think one of them has some acid that's kinda like vinegar. But I'd need to double check that."
*silence*
11/
I pulled out my phone and looked it up. Right then and there.
Me: "Yeah. One of them has a acid. But neither has the things we use as taggers or tracers."
Them: "Oh, that's good."
*silence*
Me: *looking at my cell phone* "I just thought of something."
Them: *cocks head*
I pulled out my phone and looked it up. Right then and there.
Me: "Yeah. One of them has a acid. But neither has the things we use as taggers or tracers."
Them: "Oh, that's good."
*silence*
Me: *looking at my cell phone* "I just thought of something."
Them: *cocks head*
12/
Me: "Anybody who wants to trace us, can do it with this." *holding up phone* "Even if we try to set everything private, this is all they need."
Them: "Damn. I didn't even think about that."
Me: "Like, yeah. Why would you go through all that hassle when you got this?"
Me: "Anybody who wants to trace us, can do it with this." *holding up phone* "Even if we try to set everything private, this is all they need."
Them: "Damn. I didn't even think about that."
Me: "Like, yeah. Why would you go through all that hassle when you got this?"
13/
Them: "I hate even thinking about all they can know from them phone towers."
Me: "Yup."
I looked at my watch and they caught me.
Them: "I appreciate you talking to me."
Me: "It's cool."
Them: "That part about the shot going in the muscle made sense to me."
Me: "Good."
Them: "I hate even thinking about all they can know from them phone towers."
Me: "Yup."
I looked at my watch and they caught me.
Them: "I appreciate you talking to me."
Me: "It's cool."
Them: "That part about the shot going in the muscle made sense to me."
Me: "Good."
14/
Them: "I'm gonna tell people that."
Me: "That's what's up."
I stepped off of the curb.
Me: "What you think you gon' do."
Them: "I'm probably gon' take it. But, shit, now you got me wanting to get rid of my phone."
*laughter*
Them: "I'm gonna tell people that."
Me: "That's what's up."
I stepped off of the curb.
Me: "What you think you gon' do."
Them: "I'm probably gon' take it. But, shit, now you got me wanting to get rid of my phone."
*laughter*
15/
Concern about privacy.
Unsure of the ingredients.
And a belief that anything could happen.
Which is a valid belief.
These were their reasons.
Theirs.
The whole exchange took <2 min. And allowed us to think it through together.
And I'm so glad we did.
#BlackWhysMatter
Concern about privacy.
Unsure of the ingredients.
And a belief that anything could happen.
Which is a valid belief.
These were their reasons.
Theirs.
The whole exchange took <2 min. And allowed us to think it through together.
And I'm so glad we did.
#BlackWhysMatter
