JELLYBEANS
There on the table in my friend’s living room was a clear glass bowl filled with multicolor jellybeans. I asked my host, “Mind if I take a jellybean?”.” Sure”, he says “but first I need to tell you some things about these beans”. Puzzled, I lean back in my chair and felt I was about to hear an interesting story.
“In the bowl,” my friend says “are 100 jelly beans and 75 of them will taste good, although a few could upset your stomach. 20 of the beans will make you very ill for several days and 5 will kill you. Would you still like to take a bean?” he asks.
What would your answer be? I, or course, said “no, thank you” as any reasonable person would in that situation. Yet this is the decision we are all making when we fail to protect ourselves, our family and friends, and even strangers from COVID exposure. For those who feel an infection with COVID is just like a cold or the flu, or for those who are unaware that 40-45% of COVID patients are asymptomatic and feel they are safe, and to those who refuse to wear a mask in public places because they do not believe the pandemic is real, I say you do not know which jellybean you have selected and only a little time will tell. Are you lucky, or are you or someone you contact the 5 % that will not survive this illness. Think about it!
