Stalled...

I was cleared to ride 2 days ago, but I have yet to find the time to get on the bike. Bummer, It looks like I'll start up this weekend again, after the snow melts. Forecasters are getting a little ambitious and calling for 10 inches in Asheville. When school officials caught wind of that, they closed schools. So, Christmas vacation starts early for the kids. I'm sure the teachers don't mind, the kids are pretty wound up and they need a break. The kids don't mind either, I have no doubt about that.

I would think the group that is hit hardest when school is canceled, is the single parent working 2 jobs to stay afloat. Now they have to take a day off of work because they can't afford child care. They can't really afford to take a day off of work either but, they have value in their child. They have all the same bills to pay as everybody else, but life dealt them some tough blows and here they are struggling. I wonder if they can even afford health insurance.

I wonder what happens when someone without health insurance has an emergency appendectomy. Do they ignore it because they can't afford to go to the ER? Because they know they could never pay off the huge bill? I tried to ignore mine, but I had the safety net of health insurance. My bill is up around $7000, so far. (excluding my mortgage, which is more of an investment, this is the most I have ever been in debt. If I don't have it, I don't spend it).

Which begs the question, how am supposed to pay that? I don't have that kind of money hanging around. I'm glad the other $10,000 is covered by insurance....

What is a person supposed to do? I can totally understand how easy it would be to get into illegal work to pay off this bill. I had 40 Percoset pills that I didn't use. For the record, we disposed of them properly. But, the street value of those pills? I could have made a small dent in my debt. All kinds of other illegal activity runs through my head, but I can see how easy it would be to fall into that trap.

The helplessness, the overwhelming loss of hope that comes with a large debt, can be difficult to manage. And the irony? The day I went into the hospital, was the day before payday, the paycheck that paid off my previous debt for Jubal's dental care.

What is a person supposed to do? Should I work my day job, then go work another 6 hrs at McDonalds? Then get worn down, not see my family, get sick etc. Maybe. Maybe that's what I have to do. That's a crappy way to live life.

I don't know that we need health care reform as much as we need health care COST reform.

Have a great day.