Scrolling my Facebook wall the other day, I was reminded of how hopeless it is to convince people of anything through argument. In a world as politically divided as ours, just about any issue becomes a matter of faith.
This is especially true with the vaccine which has become something of an obsession on both sides. My unvaccinated friend shared a critical post that showed up on my wall. A few weeks back a vaccinated friend posted enthusiastically about being vaccinated. In both cases, half the readership think them idiots, and the other half agree. Apart from that, nothing is achieved.
After scrolling past my anti-vaccine friend, I came upon a post by my pro-vaccine friend. Her post had nothing to do with vaccines. Rather, she was posting about a practical problem related to her balcony. She has a lot of potted plants, and doesn't know where to put them.
The comments weren't very helpful. One guy suggested she buy a house with a garden, and another guy told her to cut down on the number of plants. Both comments were thinly veiled insults, suggesting she's whimsical and short on money. However, I saw a solution to her problem similar to what we've done on our balcony. She should invest in two or three large plastic buckets with drainage holes. She can then plant some relatively large plants in the buckets, and surround them with her pots. That would make for a dense and lush display lined up along one side of her balcony.
I made this comment, and as I did so I couldn't help thinking of Emerson and his advice on how to deal with people during times of extreme political division. Rather than making a fuss about the political issues of the day, focus on practical matters, preferably related to nature. That's where God hides in plain sight. That's where we can make a real impact.
I'm sure my friend has categorized me as a fierce and slightly nutty right-wing conspiracy theorist who she'd normally detest. However, my comment was constructive and to the point. She thanked me for the advice, and I think she'll follows up on it. I'm sure the results will be to her liking, which would make me slightly less nutty in her opinion. But more importantly, she'd get a green and welcoming balcony where nature talks directly to her. That's always comforting, and may be especially comforting should she one day regret her decision to take the vaccine.
Nature is incredibly resilient, and will find a way to fight the vaccine's side effects in much the same way it has found a way to fight the virus itself. Hidden among her flowers, she'll pick up on this message. Even if she doesn't get ill with side effects, she'll end up more self reliant and trusting in nature.
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| Ralph Waldo Emerson |
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