Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Hysteria

I have watched very little television this summer....except to have HGTV on in the background...with an occasional glance at what they're doing. So I have not been listening to the "gloom and doom" of the status of our country.......the economy, the bail-outs, the health reform bill, etc. Of course, I hear the bullets that come on before the news or the constant talk on CNN or Fox if I happen to come into the room when Chuck has that on. But, I do not listen to that stuff.

All "that stuff" is driven by our 24 hour media stations and they ramp it up to near hysteria. I would like to think I don't have my head buried in the sand....but rather, I am choosing to not go down that dark, depressing road. I had to learn to stay in the day (my kids are rolling their eyes right now...because that is my mantra and they've heard it so much) and enjoy the moment at hand.

Yesterday, I enjoyed the company of my co-workers and before long, politics was brought up. I am not political. I think of politics as a football game. One team is always going to win......and never will the two teams compromise. Can you just imagine football players on opposing teams in a huddle together saying..."you guys can win the game....we'll play a while, then let you have the game's win on your record."

Our country is in financial and moral trouble. And there are 2 teams, liberals and conservatives, fighting over how to fix it. And I am just old enough to know that this has been going on for years. Years and years. And years.

I have my own beliefs based on my life's experiences. I was still a young girl when the Viet Nam war was going on and I can clearly remember the daily body count being shown on the evening news. It was disturbing for me then and I can't even wrap my brain around it now. So therefore, I do not believe we should be in a war. No war. No where. Is that naive? Maybe. But it's how I feel.

I see the money being spent on that war and think of all the good we could be doing with it. Naive? Probably. But frustrating....so damn frustrating.

I was newly married in the early 80's when the housing market fell in Houston. Chuck and I had a $105,000 mortgage on a home that wouldn't sell for $70,000. I could look out our front door and count at least 4 houses that had been walked off from. Oh, and our interest rate was 14%. I was pregnant with my second child and my company filed bankruptcy....and when I lost my job, I was losing an income of $33,000. So I think I know a little about what a bad economy feels like....the fear it instills and the worry about how in the heck you're going to pay your bills....or buy groceries when you only have six dollars in your checking account until payday....5 days away. And you owe the anesthesiologist a payment of $1000.00 up front for the epidural.

Health reform? I certainly don't know a solution to the incredible mess our health care....meaning insurance and cost of health care...is in. It's always been a mess. I can remember taking home the sanitary napkins that were left over in the box in my hospital room after my first baby was born. Those things were great! They were like mattresses. I packed them in my bag...because I figured they were just going in the trash if I left them. The insurance bill that came a month later, had a charge for $65.00 for those pads. That was 1985. Wow...those were some great pads. I think I understand a little bit about our ridiculous state of health care.

Just last month, I went to the doctor and paid my co-pay. But my insurance wouldn't let me go to the lab in their office....like down the hall from where I was standing. I had to drive to another lab for my bloodwork. And then I had to return to the doctor the next week....pay my co-pay again....to get the results of my lab work. And this is for a doctor of my choice. Well.....choosing from the list my insurance will allow. We pay hundreds and hundreds a month for our insurance premiums. And I am thankful that we can. But what if my husband loses his job? Will there be a safety net? And all those hundreds we have paid in for years and never used? What happens to all that money? Did it buy a yacht for MR. PRESIDENT OF THE INSURANCE COMPANY?


Reform means change. And I think it boils down to most people are all for change....unless it affects them in a negative way. Or cost them. Or only for it, if they reap the benefits immediately. Sometimes, change is necessary for a better tomorrow. But most people, don't want to make that sacrifice.

As long as there has been a democratic government, there have been systems in place to help those in need. And within moments of the systems being in place, there have been those who figured out how to abuse it. grrrr. Figure that one out. If they're smart enough to figure out how to abuse a system....can't they use that brain power and energy to get a real job?

Believe me, I am just as angry about it as you are.

I remember getting laid off and applying for Unemployment. And feeling guilty. Like I was one of those leeches that took from our government. When, of course, my employer had paid into it for years and it was there for me.

I believe in birth control, a woman's right to choice, security of our borders, an equal income tax for all citizens.....like 10%....10% of nothing or 10% of a billion...wherever you fall in that salary range.....no write-offs. I believe if you are over here....it should be legally and you should be paying taxes, too. I believe our country is so big.....that in our lifetime, we won't see a change for the better. I believe I have a right to my opinion and you have a right to yours. I believe if you listen to one side only, you will never know there is another side.

I believe we are only here for a short while. And we should all be getting our hearts in the right place. I believe I will think like a child and see only 5 feet in front of me. And try to please God each day.

I believe I will stick to watching HGTV. Where the worst thing that happens is color choice.

4 comments:

  1. Suprisingly I agree with a lot of that..I'm still a believer in your idea that if that 18 year old girl with the 8 babies with 8 fathers wants her welfare check this month, then she better not complain as they give her a birth control shot to last for the next month until she is ready to get that next check. I've learned this summer the depressing reality that this government takes 25% of my salary to pay for things that I don't agree at all with (aka to waste my money on stupid, unthought-out social reform bullcrap) and i'm left with not much to save and get me through the next 9 months at school of rent, bills, groceries, and more taxes. Yet they seem to encourage those people who do not go to school or do not work to keep living their life of crime and drugs, because those people arent forced to get off welfare or get a job. It makes absolutely no sense to me why someone who works their butt off to make money to support the lifestyle they desire should have to pay all of that money back, or at least a huge chunk of it, while someone who does absolutely nothing can live comfortably enough and recieve money, and therefore have no incentive to try to do better. This is why people need to stop voting for stupid republicans or democrats just because its the "big name" and actually start voting on the POLICIES that they agree with. It was never meant to be a choice between two major parties, the founding fathers even stated that that would lead to power and corruption. The parties however have managed to change the voting system to their advantage. If you vote outside the two parties for say the green party or the libertarian party, it's not a throw-away vote. People who don't believe in change enough to think that a third party could win are the ones holding that change back. As for me, if I have to vote, (and I consider my vote my permit to bitch about the politicians), then I refuse to vote for the lesser of two evils. In the end, they're still two evils. I can't be content if i just vote for the "great speaker" or the person who my best friend chose. I vote for who I believe has the best ideas and policies, so that this crappy democratic/republican-powerhungry-pocketlining era will end.

    That's all :)

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  2. Julia, I just love you. Every day, with every new post I love you a little more. I couldn't agree more with everything you said here and I've disconnected from it now too because I'm suffering from overload.

    By the way, Cammy and I were talking about you last week and missing you. I'm so sad we won't see you at SB this year.

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  3. Surprisingly I agree with a lot of that. I'm also a copy-cat. You are so eloquent when it comes to talking about anything but I love how you are so sure about what you are saying and not afraid to say it. After all, it's America, right? You should not have any fear of speaking your mind unless you're in a bar in Omaha and have on an Obama t-shirt (sorry, couldn't resist). I'm proud and honored to be your friend. You are an extraordinary woman with your head on so straight that I'm afraid if you tilted it too much the world would go off it's axis! I love you, Stephanie

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  4. Julia, have you been watching that orange juice commercial where the guy gets on his "Orange box"? Thank you SO MUCH for letting me know I am not the only woman out there who is keeping her eye on the moment and the people around me. That is what God has asked of me and He will take care of this other stuff. Nieve? Maybe, but I'm sticking with it also!
    BTW, we are boyh self employed, pay over 1000. a month for health insurance and we are facing forclosure. I still want my freedom to choose! I don't want the government to step in and I will close my studio and go to McDonald's if I have to this month to work but at least I can still make that decision. It's still a free country and I want to keep it that way. Thanks for making all your great points!

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