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So it’s been awhile since I’ve written a blog.. and lately, I feel like I am once again seeing things in a slightly different perspective and rearranging priorities in my life. Currently, I am at home in Chicago and as much I don’t like that winter is literally around the corner (it’s currently 44 degrees) I’m accepting the fact that I’m gonna have to be in Chicago a bit more these days.One and probably the most important reason is my health. This year, 2011 was the first year that I have gone without a hospital stay in the past 4 years which is a big deal for me. For those who are unaware, I was diagnosed with something called Crohns disease when I was 23 years old. Crohns disease is an autoimmune disease in which my immune system attacks my digestive system. So, my chronic illness doesn’t control my life but it does require attention from time to time and because of my chronic condition I am unable to receive health insurance, anywhere. I was lucky enough to have worked something out where I am able to work part time for a company and receive health insurance but there are many, many people who are not as fortunate or lucky. And there are many more who are in the same position I am – I am not scared to admit that I have hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills from the two times (Blue Cross Blue Shield / Assurant Health) both of my ‘insurance’ companies dropped me. So I am very lucky and very thankful to have some again, although it doesn’t provide me that much ‘assurance.’ Every time I’ve actually needed my “insurance” companies – they literally dropped me. So.. I’ll keep my fingers crossed with this one.
As I am writing this, my grandfather is lying in a hospital bed. And tonight, a life long friend of mine, Amanda who grew up 2 houses away from me as a kid and is only 27 years old, in finishing her last round of chemotherapy to fight off her breast cancer. When I was 19, another friend of mine, Liz was diagnosed with non-hodgkins lymphoma. And when I at 26, another girl friend was diagnosed with hodgkins lymphoma.A lot of people wish and want many things but a lot of people wish and want just basic things… like health care. The right to health care and the right not to let sickness, accidents or tragedies ruin their lives. And the way the health care system in the states is set up is so.. wrong. Sinfully wrong. Doctors and insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, etc all make money (lots of money: http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20110618/ISSUE01/306189984/blue-cross-profits-surge ) off of keeping you sick. And to me, that’s what many doctors today do. They don’t treat the illness, they don’t treat the cause – they treat the symptom. Most people don’t realize that surgeons aren’t considered employees of the hospitals they actually perform surgery at. Most surgeons are not employees, the hospital doesn’t issue them checks – the insurance company does. Surgeons are only affiliated with a hospital or a few different hospitals but the majority are not employees. Surgeons only get paid when they perform surgery – insurance companies write them their check. It’s a reason why you’ll almost never find a surgeon who doesn’t recommend surgery… how else are they gonna get paid?
And while I do understand that yes, doctors need their pay too. As do surgeons and etc, the cost of their degree is not cheap ( http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2011/04/real-life-medical-school-debt.html – which is a whole other story) and they work hard to get it but the cost of health care, even for basic health care is also SO astronomical in comparison to what the average person makes (http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/02/income-inequality-in-america-chart-graph – Average Wage in IL: $7.25 http://www.dol.gov/whd/minimumwage.htm). How can average people be expected to do anything other than work? Forever. Is the average person also expected to die working? In the middle of a street? In a home they’ve worked all their life for but can never own due to basic living expenses.. such as health care? Or even more basic things such as parking. In the city of Chicago it cost 3 dollars an hour to park. If you’re working 8 hours for $10 dollars an hour $24 of the $80 dollars you made for the day (not even gonna throw in taxes) is already gone just for parking. Not even considering the cost of just getting there and the cost of gasoline. Chicago for whatever reason usually has the highest gas prices in the country, (http://www.chicagogasprices.com/retail_price_chart.aspx).
There are so many things that need to change and I think the biggest and the most important is taking America out of corporate hands and back into Americans hands back into the people. Corporate America is literally raping, stealing, starving and murdering for every last dollar they can get and it comes at the prices of lives. Of our educational system. Of our teachers. Of our Veterans. Of our fire fighters. Of all us. All of us that know someone that is qualified or over qualified and cannot find a job or anyone that is sick and scared. Or anyone that is homeless.“A nation’s greatness, a nations society is measured by how it treats it’s weakest members.”
I’m not saying that everyone deserves a hand out.. but I do think everyone deserves a fair chance and that is not how our system is set up. It’s obvious and clear that the game is rigged. And right now, everyday, more and more Americans are losing that chance. A chance at a decent and fulfilling life. That’s the crazy part – decent. Normal people who live in reality don’t wish for 6 different homes throughout the world or their own private jet … they want to work a job that pays them enough to go home and spend time with their family and maybe once in awhile, take one of their 2 weeks off to actually go on vacation. People forget we all want the same thing. A decent and normal life and people around the world are losing that chance more and more everyday.
I’ve always been the type of girl that cheers for the underdog, that roots for the little guy or wants to save things I find innocent, pure and good. Whether if you believe or not that the middle class isn’t shrinking or you disagree and fully support corporations and the people at the top, than I ask of you to look into your heart, do some soul searching and show some compassion & understanding. The bottom 99%, the majority doesn’t expect and doesn’t want much, we just want a chance to a decent life. A fair chance.
If you are someone who is lucky enough to be one of those people – there are many, many reasons to be thankful this Thanksgiving. If you are someone in good health, or that has job, has a home, or clean clothes or a full belly, those are all reasons to be thankful. And be thankful of those who help you get up when you fall and for those who fight for your right to live. But we are not free, we are enslaved. If you have freedom and are not enslaved to a bank, a hospital, a university, a bad job, a loan, then you are an incredibly lucky and hopefully grateful person.So this thanksgiving, I give thanks for the small joys in life and the basics – that’s all I need, that’s all I want. I give thanks for all my family and my friends who support me and have always given me a hand when I’ve been down. I give thanks for my great team with my site who work so well with me even though at times, I am probably difficult. And I give thanks to all that listen and follow me and attempt to understand me for there are even more times where I’m.. complicated. And I give even more thanks to my members and fans because you inspire me and touch my life. And more importantly, you spend your time (which is the most valuable thing) with me. There have been a few times fans and members have referred to me as a ‘goddess’ and I assure you I am far from. It is you I hold in the highest regard, so it would be me kneeling for my fans and members. Thank you, you are a blessing. Happy Thanksgiving.
xoxox
