Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Mosh Pit





Do you want to hear the good news first or last? It's not actually news but more of a rehash. SOS. Save Our Ship and Same Old Shit. I got a Christmas greeting card from our new health insurer. It was a snow globe with a cheerful winter scene inside. Despite coverage not beginning until the first of the year, I suppose Anthem Blue Shield is trying to butter me up. You know -- all that thank you for entrusting us to insure your good health and looking forward to a wonderful relationship in the new year. Wouldn't it be awesome if their season's greetings included Happy Hellidays and Looking Forward to Ripping You a New One in 2016! I'm thinking about printing the e-card out and using it for target practice -- oh, wait -- I don't own a gun and have already refused to even acknowledge those who believe it's their right or need to carry one. Maybe, instead, I'll use the card to practice spitting, or maybe blowing marijuana smoke rings. Wait -- I haven't really spit on anything or anyone since my sister and I fought over Parcheesi back in the mid-70s, and I don't smoke marijuana despite my fervent belief in its medicinal powers. May the new year knock some sense into our legislators, persuade them that accepting money from Big Pharma and the NRA enslaves you to drugs, fear and death.

Anyhoo.

Where was I? Christmas greeting cards from your future health insurer (for whom you've already girded your loins in expectation of the Fight Over Formulary and Non-Formulary Drugs) are irksome and seem a waste of the cloud, no?

Here's some good stuff. I spent a few glorious hours in Sophie's school classroom this morning. I brought fresh donuts and about nine Trader Joe's gingerbread houses for the kids to put together and decorate. They're a rowdy, fun bunch of young men and women. They are Asian and Hispanic and African-American and Caucasian and Christian and Orthodox Jewish and Muslim. They sang Christmas carols, danced and laughed and wiped frosting all over themselves. They worked very hard throwing sprinkles over the roofs and piled the little sugar people up by the front door. The teacher declared awesome mosh pit! and they all giggled. If you need a bit of cheer in your life, if you're completely demoralized by all the bullshit -- by the freedom lovers and gun lovers, by the war mongers and terrorists, by the expressions boots on the ground and collateral damage, by the Federal Reserve -- you should visit a class of young adults with disabilities.

You won't feel gratitude for what you have and what they lack. You'll want what they have and what you lack.



18 comments:

  1. What is it about insurance and drug companies who act like they are doing you the favor by sending you a card (or in our case, an expensive box of drug company 'swag') instead of a) fixing their shit so things aren't so hard for their customer or b) reducing their prices (in our case, the drug billed is almost $6k a month)


    Fa la la... The picture of the class makes me happy.

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  2. This is the best news I've read all day. On that note, it has been enough of a day and I'm off to bed.

    Best,
    Bonnie

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  3. "You'll want what they have and what you lack."
    Thank you.

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  4. Said so beautifully. And with such truth. I am sometimes most happiest when with Zoey and her friends.

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  5. When we offer ourselves, just as we are, it seems that everyone benefits. I love the "mosh pit" comment - and your new blog header art.

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  6. That sounds like a lovely place to be.
    And thanks for leaving the good part for the end.
    May everyone sleep well.

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  7. I thought Anthem was already your insurer? Haven't you done battle with them before? Maybe they've seen the light and changed the error of their ways. (Ha!)

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    1. Anthem Blue Cross was our insurer for years. Then we changed to Assurant who informed us over the summer that they are exiting the individual market. We explored the market and found Anthem Blue SHIELD to be the best "bet," -- "bet" being the operative word!

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  8. I get the same good feeling at Special Olympics bowling. It's a good energy that's free of bullshit. The people there are real, unvarnished. I like that.

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  9. What a beautiful idea that visit to Sophie's class was. You are always an inspiration but somehow this time your magnanimity blew me away.

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  10. You are my rock star hero. That is all.

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  11. Absolutely yes. The most whole-hearted memories of my life are the times I spent with my brother Mark. I wanted what he had and was so lucky to share it for as long as I did.

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  12. Ever seen those hilarious fake "inspiration" posters? OVERCONFIDENCE: This Is Going to End in Disaster and You Have No One Blame but Yourself. Well, that's what I think of insurance companies handing you a shiny bauble of a greeting while shoving their fist up your arse.

    I think stepping outside yourself and helping anyone is always an uplifting experience. Puts things in perspective. People first, always.

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  13. Just exactly what I needed to read. Thanks.

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  14. Love, love, love. And now I'm in the mood to make a gingerbread mosh pit. We made two gingerbread houses this year and the dog ate one in its entirety, off of the dining room table, candy, plastic base, and all. I really kept expecting him to poop out a gingerbread man, but he just got really awful gas for a day or so. I just keep hoping that with the continued fights over Medicare rates and hospital funding being decreased and the ACA, someone (Bernie Sanders - PLEASE?!?) will finally tip the scales to a single-payer system in this country and do the hard, hard work of overhauling it all so that we can do away with Kaiser and Anthem and Premera and all of the individual insurers whose biggest interest - hell, ONLY interest - is their financial solvency.

    Hey, a girl can dream, can't she?

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