Dodging another COVID bullet

Never felt so sorry for a Walgreens employee in my life. [READER]( Got my booster the other day. At the local Walgreens. The place is packed. Clerk at the front window’s racing to keep up. Never felt so sorry for a Walgreens employee in my life. He’s got so much to do. Checks you in. Asks for some medical information. Passes out a form to fill out to give him even more information. And then he dashes to a back room—to give someone else a jab. One man doing a job for at least two. Got to be a half dozen people waiting for a shot. Plus, there’s this lunatic bellowing at a pharmacist. Big fleshy guy. Disheveled. Like he hasn’t changed his clothes in days. He’s not there for a shot. Apparently, picking up some other type of medicine. But something’s not right. Has to do with money owed. He’s telling a pharmacist that his doctor told him the medicine wouldn’t cost anything. And the pharmacist is telling him the doctor got it wrong. And the lunatic’s bellowing—the doctor told me! And the pharmacist says, “Please, sir, can you lower your voice?” Plus, he’s not wearing a mask. The lunatic, that is. Not the pharmacist. The pharmacist is definitely wearing a mask. Actually, the lunatic’s wearing a mask. But it’s under his chin. So, really, why bother? The clerk tells me to sit in the waiting area and fill out my forms. And the lunatic tells the pharmacist, he’ll return tomorrow. For some reason, he believes tomorrow will be a better day. He looks like he’s leaving. Only, he decides to sit next to me. You gotta be kidding me! Then he starts hacking. I mean, he’s coughing up a lung like he’s got a three-pack-a-day habit. Oh, great. I’m gonna get COVID at the Walgreens, waiting for my booster. I’d tell the lunatic to pull up his mask except a.) I’m not really into confrontations and b.) he’s a lunatic—what if he’s got a gun? I think I’m losing my mind with paranoia in this pandemic. He starts hacking again. I’m wearing a mask and pinching my nose. Double protection. I know his business here is done. I distinctly heard him tell the pharmacist he’d return tomorrow. And yet, he’s still here! He won’t leave. The man must love Walgreens. “Benjamin?” It’s the pharmacist. To the back room we go. “Which arm?” he asks. I run through my options. Sleep on my left, so . . . “Right,” I say. It’s over before I know it. Out in the lobby, it’s quiet. The lunatic has flown. I may have dodged another COVID bullet. Just another paranoid Monday in the age of the pandemic. [Ben Joravsky [signature]]( [Eight]( left! Nominate your favorites, November 17 - December 15]( The Story of the Night by Colm Toibin—heartbreaking novel by the master about Argentina in the age of AIDS “Farewell, my lovely jumpsuit,” [Megan Kirby]( on the emotional toll of cleaning out a closet [Ben Joravsky]( on why Democrats are too embarrassed to watch the Clinton/Lewinsky saga [William Brown]( on the great Stephen Sondheim Maya Dukmasova and Adolfo Mondragon on the city’s [new ward map]( [Dave Glowacz]( on the latest City Council meeting [The Ben Joravsky Show]( [Listen to The Ben Joravsky Show]( We've wrapped up season one of CQN! Listen back on all ten episodes [here]( or wherever you get your podcasts. [Give the gift of the Reader this holiday season!]( Shop timeless gifts for the alternative media enthusiast on your list. From quality totes and t-shirts to groovy button packs and masks, we’ve got you covered. Store purchases are another way to support our community nonprofit newsroom this holiday season and beyond! [Death of a Telemarketer]( It feels like a phone call that could have been a text. by [Becca James]( [Fire in Oak Park and changes in Oak Brook and Jefferson Park]( Oak Park Festival Theatre suffers an office fire, First Folio is closing down, and Gift announces new leadership. by [Kerry Reid]( [Chicago electronic group Courtesy go pop but stay weird]( by [Noah Berlatsky]( [Issue of Nov 25 - Dec 8, 2021 Vol. 51, No.]( [Download Issue]( (PDF) 1971 Chicagoans have relied on the Reader for trusted alternative coverage of our city. The Chicago Reader is now a 501c3 nonprofit organization which means our survival is in your hands. In order to continue to be your trusted alternative voice of Chicago, we need your help. If you can donate just $5 today, we can show the world that community funded, independent journalism is the future. [DONATE TODAY!]( [View this e-mail as a web page]( [@chicago_reader]( [/chicagoreader]( [@chicago_reader]( [Chicago Reader on LinkedIn]( [/chicagoreader]( [chicagoreader.com]( [Forward this e-mail to a friend](. Want to change how you receive these e-mails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](. Copyright © 2021 Chicago Reader, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Chicago Reader, 2930 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 102, Chicago, IL 60616