The scary Government "Take-Over" by "They"! What?!!

Can anyone tell me what this “government” health care plan that we are all going to be forced into…is? Who put that one together? True, one version of the plan does require everyone to have health insurance. It also provides subsidies to help those who can’t afford it on their own. And maybe it would help those folks get to doctors offices for care and prevention instead of having to depend on expensive emergency room care, that tax payers end up paying for, when it may be too late. Hmmm…might that not help bring down some costs? Maybe that’s why you’re required to have automobile insurance. So everyone isn’t paying for the accidents of those who don’t have it. Curious.
And doesn’t competition help control costs? Economics 101. That is, sorry, that was the plan for introducing a public option. Right…public option not “government” takeover. Give the insurance companies some healthy competition for the business. The fear mongering and lies about the public option were outrageous. However, when profits that incredible and campaign contributions that large are at stake, greedy people do outrageous things.
And let’s just quickly mention that there were hundreds of “Keep your hands off my healthcare” signs being held up by seniors at all those rallies. Seniors whose healthcare was probably Medicare…a government run healthcare system. Seniors who had been scared out of their wits by Dick Armey and his insurance company lobbying firm and the current leaders of the Republican Party Limbaugh and Beck. Grassroots protests?!!! Follow the money kids. Check out who’s sponsoring those “Grassroots” websites.
Can anyone tell me who this “government” is that wants to take over all our healthcare? Who are they? The senate and house? The President? Those 5 scary guys who really rule the world? Isn’t that why our founding fathers in their wisdom divided government into 3 sections? Executive, Legislative and Judicial so that one group couldn’t “take over”?
And what’s in it for this “government “ in a “government take over”? Why in the world would “They” want to take over? For the Power? The power to do what? And don’t just say “Run our lives”. C’mon…how is one group ever going to “Run the lives” of 280 million people? When would “they” have time for lunch? And how do “they” split that power up to make it fair to everyone that’s in this “government”? Shouldn’t everyone in this “government get to “run” some lives? For the Money? Same questions. And what happens when someone new gets voted in? Do they get their very own copy of the “You are now part of the Take Over and here’s how you get your power and money” handbook?
Please don’t let yourselves be told what to believe. Find out the facts for yourselves and like I said…follow the money.

The Old Man Across The Street

From a distance he looks like a stick standing upright. A stick that time has bent, crooked and twisted. He lives alone in the house on the corner across the street. Well, not really alone. His two small dogs have kept him company for as long as we’ve lived here. They follow him wherever he goes and yap at anyone who happens to walk by. And he would yell at them in a scratchy old voice. “Tina…Eddy…get the hell back here”. When he would get into his banged up old car and drive away to wherever little old men go in their banged up old cars, the little white dog would just bark until he would return. Well, the banged up old car isn’t in the driveway anymore. I guess he won’t be going to where little old men in their banged up old cars go anymore. And yesterday I noticed as he stood crooked and bent out in his front yard…there was only one little dog. As I turned to go back inside though I heard that scratchy old voice holler one more time. “Tina…get the hell back here”. Rest in peace Eddy. Rest in peace.

Can't wait to see Christmas

My daughter went off to college this year. Two hours away from home. I talk to her often, but I miss her dearly. Just before her Christmas break this year she called one night. She wanted to make sure the lights were up, the tree was decorated and the mantle and bookcases were filled with our collections of snowmen and Santas. Because...she said, “I can’t wait to come home and see Christmas.” Such a simple sentence. I can’t wait to come home and see Christmas. I looked around the house. The snowmen and Santas were all in place. The lights outside twinkling. All the ornaments were on the tree...including the felt Christmas tree with her picture on it that she made in second grade. I can’t wait to come home and see Christmas. I can’t begin to tell you the feeling in my heart when I realized that to my daughter...Christmas is...home.
It’s right here waiting for you honey. And it always will be.
(Written a few years ago)

For the Birds

I hung a bird feeder on one of the trees in the backyard a few weeks ago. And since then, I’ve made some interesting observations about some of our feathered friends. Now Sparrows...they’re like the Chatty Cathys of the bird world. There can be 15 or 20 of them all out there at the same time just chatting up a storm. Talking about the kids and the price of nests these days I’m sure. And the regal, red Cardinal...well...he’s a bit of a chicken. He always sends in the little woman first to see if the coast is clear. Starlings are like the backyard gang of birddom. They make a lot of noise, act tough and chase everybody away. Now the feeder is too small for the Bluejays and Crows to perch on. So, they just sit on the fence and glare. Occasionally flipping me the feather. Mr. and Mrs. Mourning Dove are quiet souls. Too big for the feeder too, they just wait at the base of the tree for spillage. I’ve also observed that there’s someone else who’s been observing. The neighbor’s cat. And you can see it in her face. Hmmm...snack food...in assorted flavors. After rereading this column I think I have one last observation. Maybe I’ve got too much time on my hands.

All The Laughter, All The Tears...

The heart has just one door. And when we open that door to joy...we’ve also opened that door to sorrow. Of course, we can choose just how wide we want to open the door. Some of us will choose to keep the door wide open. And there will be great joy in those lives...and great sorrow. Some of us will choose not to open the door as wide. For whatever reason they will not allow themselves to feel the great sorrows in life. They must realize though that they will never experience the great joys in this life either. I think Kahlil Gibran probably described it best in his essay on love. What he was saying was this. Those of us who choose not to open our hearts will laugh, but not all our laughter. And we’ll cry, but not all our tears. And maybe that is a much safer way to go. But the human heart is capable of giving and receiving great love if we let it. So, for me...I want to laugh all my laughter. And for that I’m willing to cry...all my tears.

Consequences

Consequences. You know it’s kind of like that law of physics. For every action there is a reaction. Do something and something else happens. Do something good...good consequences. Do something bad...bad consequences. Now let me ask you this. What are the consequences of...not teaching our children about consequences? What happens when instead of showing a child certain behavior is unacceptable and will be punished...we give them a “Time Out” in their room with the TV and Play Station? And instead of showing a child that disrespect for anyone will not be tolerated...we just remove them from the situation so it won’t happen again? And when we do tell a child no...and the hissy fit begins... instead of disciplining bad behavior right then and there...we distract them to get them to stop? A child who grows up without consequences becomes an adult living without consequences. Every action and non action has consequences. Do something and something else will happen. I guess we have to decide what we’d like those consequences to be.

What???

Ok...I’m really in a pickle about this. Whatever happened to all those wonderful old sayings that used to pepper our conversations. Some of them were funnier than a barrel of monkeys. And I’m not just whistling dixie here. Just between you, me and the fencepost, I think a lot of us would be just tickled pink if they made a comeback. And I’ll be a monkey’s uncle if I don’t think our kids are getting the short end of the stick when it comes to colorful (in the good way) conversation. But maybe I’d better just mind my own beeswax and leave the art of colorful wordage up the creek without a paddle. After all, as a writer, I don’t want to cut off my nose to spite my face. In today’s world I guess you have to use todays words. So, I’ll just mind my Ps and Qs and write right...so no one ends up giving me the cold shoulder. God willing and the creek don’t rise though, I just might try to sneak one of those golden oldies in every once in a blue moon.