Nobody 777

Monday, July 27, 2009
Nobody # 777

Nobody Asked Me But:

Lately I’ve been thinking:

About how glad I am that Greg has found the woman for whom he has long been searching. Marie is perfect for him. Their wedding in Reno on July 11th was beautiful. Dad was the so-proud Best Man – actually second best to the groom. Both families were well represented and, yes, a great time was had by all.

I went from proud to concerned as Greg (or Michael as he is called by all outside his family) entered the hospital two days later for his first round of cancer-fighting chemo. Thankfully it went very well and his doctors say he is progressing ahead of schedule.

I spent that week in Reno being with my son and his beaytiful bride and having some quality time with my grandson Benjamin.

I drove home on Saturday, July 18, my car loaded down with millions of dollars worth of baked goods from Schatts in Bishop. but I was there for a very short three days. Long enough though to celebrate a wonderful 20th anniversary with Barbara.

(We had a great anniversary dinner at Gardens at Glendon in Westwood. We started with delicious guacamole prepared tableside. Then Barb had excellent halibut and chips. My lamb chops with curry and condiments were even better – at least to me.

Then, on Wednesday, I flew to Tucson to see “Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince” with Elizabeth, Ryan and Emily. It was excellent as was the rest of the week – filled with games, long conversations and good wine.

(The picture is of Elizabeth with one of their 8 or 9 chickens which goes with their 6 dogs, 2 horses, a bird and a snake.)

I kept in phone contact with Greg and was thrilled that after a couple of bad days when he first went home he was doing much better by week’s end.

(Let me be clear here. For me to give an up-beat report is not to, in any way, minimize the ordeal through which my son must pass.)

Thinking some more:

I was not joking when I told Barbara a week ago that if Congress fails to pass a significant health care reform bill this year I would like to move out of the United States. If we can continue to ignore this vital need as we have been doing for over 50 years (100 if you want to count TR’s effort) then this is not a legislative government nor a people that I can longer respect.

People die because of health insurance companies will not cover their pre-existing conditions.

These same companies use every trick in the book to expel legitimate members who get sick and thus become too costly.

The young, the poor and the old are too often without adequate coverage.

Costs skyrocket because profit is the bottom line, while quality goes down. We are now significantly down on the quality list of comparative nations.

(Commonwealth Fund found, last year, that the United States had the most expensive health care in the world, yet was in last place among industrialized countries in preventing deaths through timely and effective medical care.)

In a compassionate nation, quality health care is a right and it is based on need and not on ability to pay.

That is the kind of nation in which I want to live.

No, because of family and friends and finances, we will not move if it fails. But I will wish that we could. And that is the ultimate damning statement about my country.<<<