There are three sides to every story; (to simplify, I’ll just use the words his and hers) his, hers and the truth, so I can see why people are divided about whether to get a vaccination or not. The mainstream media and governments are telling people that it’s the right thing to do. Do your part because vaccinations save lives. They are safe. The science proves vaccines help. It would be very normal to want to get a vaccine after hearing that information.
Then there are those that don’t want to get vaccinated. I’m finding they tend to watch alternative media sources who are saying the science used in the media is not accurate. Don’t trust the mainstream media or the government. The science shows vaccines can be harmful. It would be very normal to want to avoid the vaccine after hearing that information.
Who’s right? Who’s wrong? What’s the truth? We may never know the entire truth. What matters is that we stay open minded. After all, intelligence is not about knowing everything without question, it is the ability to question everything you think you know.
I used to hate being wrong. However, as I’ve matured, I’ve realized, admitting I’m wrong and/or being open to being wrong is a grown-up thing to do. It is a healthy way to navigate life. It helps me have great relationships, and a good life is about relationships. So, I’m open to being wrong about my beliefs. I do my best to look at all sides of the story. And if I’m unsure about the information, I listen to my heart. It’s the ultimate reference point.
Looking at both sides also helps me to see why people make the choices they do. When I see things from another person’s point of view, everyone wins. I am able to have compassion and respect people’s choices. After all, we get to live together in this beautiful community so we may as well do our best to do it with compassion, respect and agreeing to disagree because we may never know the real truth.
Regena Bergen
Valemount, BC
