Moving Forward... Together

This one is sort of long. Take your time.  

Things are starting to move again here in the Gem State, and I must say not a moment too soon. Mrs. Swaim told me to get a haircut or get a dog tag!

And yet I keep hearing the same thing from many different people, expressed in different ways, but still the same message, there is still a little bit of fear or trepidation about being in public, about being around others.

Stop it!

People are not the enemy. They never have been. We need each other and we need to mix, both physically and emotionally and spiritually and environmentally.

So, let us go over a few things.

Hopefully by now if you have been reading this blog, even occasionally, you might have picked up on this key idea: HEALTH COMES FROM YOU, NOT TO YOU.

What does this mean anyway?

It means we can either be our own worst enemy or we can be our own best advocate when it comes to health and life and longevity. We make the decision about how we will live. We get to choose and without getting too political, we have been denied the chance to choose. We can, and should, make the choices which take us toward wellbeing. Not someone else. Us. You. Me.

That being said, consider this…

Viruses do not kill you folks. They do not want to. They want to infect your cells. They are like a freeloader who wants to move into your house and replicate at your expense. If the virus kills the host cell, he is out of business. Game over. And here is the thing, cells, once invaded by a virus, set the wheels in motion to self-destruct. Yes, they kill themselves to stop the infection. If cells are healthy enough to push the self-destruct button quickly enough, the virus cannot replicate and spread to other cells. The virus does not kill the cell, the cell kills itself. Read that paragraph again.

Conversely, if our response to an invading virus is sluggish, if our response time is slow and cells don't self-destruct quickly enough, the viruses do what they do. They move-in, replicate, and spread to other cells. This can cause large scale tissue damage, in this case the cells of the lungs. Part of the issue with this particular virus, corona, is the rapidity with which it can replicate. Apparently, it moves quickly.

Stay with me.

Our immune system has two parts, one specific and one non-specific. Our non-specific system is always in motion, always looking for things which do not belong, and once they find them, they signal for help and they attack and get things under control. This innate part of our immune system is like a terribly busy and restless family dog. She is always looking and watching and protecting her people and she only likes her family and if you are not family, she is barking and growling, getting the alert out that someone is trying to invade. Then she attacks.

The second part of the system, the specific, is the one which produces the antibodies. The specific side of our immune systems are like the Dad of the house. He has heard the dog barking and growling, and he is looking for his shotgun. It usually takes him a while to find his weapon but, in the meantime, the dog is doing its job, sounding the alarm, and holding off the intruder. Dad eventually finds the gun, gets a good look at the intruder, and never forgets what he saw. If he does not kill off the intruder this time, he will recognize him next time. Our specific immunity system has an incredible memory. But Dad does not move as quickly as the family dog. The non-specific innate immunity is usually the front-line. The specific, although slower, has more profound consequences. We need them both, in balance and in the correct order. Dog first, and Dad second.

Here is the problem. Our "dog" side of our immune system, the first responder, if it does not catch on quickly and start barking, the infected cells start to stack-up and self-destruct so quickly, that our bodies produce a phenomenon known as the Cytokine Storm. This rather ominous event is what gets people in trouble. This is the phenomenon that can kill you. That is correct, it is not the virus that does people in, it is our own, internal response that is the problem. First, not enough from our dog, and then too much. Our immune systems get out of balance, just like our spines. And yes, there is plenty we can do to train them to move faster. 

But one more word about viruses. They are everywhere and always have been. Nothing has changed, nothing is new. True they can adapt and change but this has always been so. Life on this planet is in flux, a balancing act, and this fact is not new either. We need to stop fighting nature and start working with it. We need to balance our immune systems, both individually and communally, because this is not the last time we will deal with this. But it is not the first time either! Humans have been existing with viruses from the beginning.

It is our response that matters. Both internally and societally. We need to respond properly, not too much and not too little.    

What can we do to bring more balance?

First, for us individually, get moving. We need sunshine, fresh air, decent grub. We need to sleep. We need to play. We need to work. We need to put good things into our minds and hearts. This is not a fancy solution, but it is still the best way to bring life and health and peace.

Second, from a societal standpoint, get out there and get moving. We need frequent and robust interactions with others. FREQUENT AND ROBUST.  BE AROUND OTHERS.  SHAKE HANDS. HUG EACH OTHER. WE NEED THIS INTERACTION TO BRING OUR COLLECTIVE IMMUNE SYSTEM INTO BALANCE!

Clearly, if you are immunocompromised or caring/living with someone who is, you may choose to take the recommended precautions. But for the rest of us… FREQUENT AND ROBUST!

The reality of nature has not changed. Life is not somehow more dangerous than it was last year. Or ever was.

It is our response that is out whack. Our response has changed. 

Let us get back into balance.

See you out there!