We had breakfast together this morning, so I had an opportunity to tell several brothers from church how grateful I am that I finally saw my doctor, after intentionally avoiding him for three years because of COVID.  After a Christmas visit to the local emergency room for an incessant cough from bronchitis, the E.R. doc told me to follow up with my personal doctor.  I sighed, deeply.

Then I immediately began rehearsing my talking points about COVID, the vaccine, and the COVID medical establishment that has run — and ruined — everything for three years.

But my personal doctor had to cancel two appointments with me in the past month because he was ill.  So the first thing I asked him when we finally got together last week was whether he was OK.  He said yeah.  He said he had had COVID but recovered.

My doctor said he was vaccinated before catching COVID.

He asked me whether I have had COVID.  "No."  Then he asked me if I had been vaccinated.  "No."  Then he asked me if I wanted to be vaccinated.  I said, "Don't get me started."  He said he wouldn't.

He also said he hadn't wanted to be vaccinated, "but they made me."

I explained to the guys at breakfast this morning that I had avoided my doctor to avoid arguing with him about COVID.  He's a good doctor, and my wife and I like him and didn't want to anger him.

One of my buddies at breakfast was flabbergasted.  "Since when do you worry about angering anybody?"

I sheepishly answered to this effect: "When somebody potentially can determine matters of life and death for me."  Nods all around the table followed.

I was pretty certain my doctor, bless his heart, would try to coerce me into being vaccinated and that we would argue about it.  I was concerned that the argument might end by ruining our relationship, and the Landsbaums having to find another doctor.

My greater concern was that my doctor would somehow succeed in getting me into the COVID loop.  From watching others' experience for three years, it was obvious to me that once in the loop, it's next to impossible to get out: "Have you had your booster?"

"You not only endanger yourself, but also endanger others unless you have your booster."

"We have two boosters now."

"You're not really fully vaccinated until you've had four boosters."

And so forth.

I value friendships, and I try to respect others.  But if the Apostle Paul himself tried to maneuver me into the COVID loop, we would argue.  It would probably ruin our friendship.

But in God's good Providence, I was spared the COVID loop, spared losing my doctor, spared losing my respect for him, and spared losing my integrity, to say nothing of being spared losing my COVID-free good health.  On the whole, it was a gratifying experience.

Now all I have to be concerned about is why the government is tracking people like me who haven't been vaccinated for COVID, and what they are going to do about it. 

Mark Landsbaum is a Christian retired journalist, former investigative reporter, editorial writer, and columnist.  He also is a husband, father, grandfather, and Dodgers fan.  He can be reached at mark.landsbaum@gmail.com.

Image: Bru-nO via Pixabay, Pixabay License.