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Last Wednesday, I came in early (it's hard enough for me to make it on time) to get a free flu shot offered by the powers that be at our station.

The doctors handed me a waiver, I probably read about three words of it, then signed by name. I rolled up my sleeve; took the needle in the shoulder; got a hot band-aid with animated characters on it and soon was on my way.

Two days later, I woke up in the middle of the night slightly confused (normal) with a stuffy nose (not normal), congested throat and all of the other symptoms suggesting a head cold. Usually, I ease into this condition at a much more gradual pace, but in this instance it all jumped on me at once. I've heard rumors that flu shots insert a weak virus into your system and then you ultimately build up an immunity to it and other flu-like illnesses.

I decided to "Google" flu vaccines and sure enough, a similar explanation comes up on the website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The site says the vaccine will greatly reduce the risk of contracting the flu, but it also lists potential side effects such as: runny nose, sore throat or cough.

I guess the scariest thing from all of this is that I let some strange person stick some strange substance into my shoulder without having the slightest clue as to what it was. It's not like I'm worried they injected me with the plague or something, but I think it illustrates an important point that many people are guilty of: a lot of times we don't read between the lines. We assume that because we are told something is good for us than it's okay.

Will I get a flu shot next winter? Probably. But at least then I'll know what it is, assuming I don't forget what I already know.