When I went to work for the State I was 23. The job was clerking in
a State liquor store and I was thrilled to get it in the tough economy.
One of the 'perks' was medical insurance. You could almost hear the sigh
of relief as older ladies were hired who often explained that was why they
applied..
It was almost a game, among the unionized employees to see how much of
their medical leave they could take. If they hadn't used it by the end of
the year they knew they'd loose it, so the clever, off the record, would
always have a plan in mind on how they would use their sick leave.
I was young, and stupid. I liked to work. We would unload the truck,
stack bottles, count inventory, and it was all a challenge for me to do it
faster and faster and try and sharpen my skills. On the other hand many
of the older employees would work to take cigarette breaks, standing
behind the shelves, gossiping, or talking about events. They were 'gold
brickers' as the phrase may apply. They tried to do as little as they
could, and take on no responsibility. That was the norm, amongst the
employees of the State, with ambition being rare.
Most of our job was standing behind a counter. After three or four
years my back started bothering me. I never expercised and figured work
was exercise enough. Then one day, I played a baseball game with some old
friends, and sore doesn't begin to describe my experience the next day. I
could barely walk. Standing behind a counter, the next day, seemed to
turn soreness into physical disability. I couldn't lift cases or stand
without wincing in pain. I was concerned about the long term damage and
whether or not I could continue being a useful employee. I decided to
see a doctor.
The doctor gave me a simple set of exercises. He explained the
importance of exercise and what the potential was if I didn't take better
care: surgery, braces, disability and some more that I didn't want to
think about.
The exercises worked wonders. You know, the standard, lay on your
back, pull your knees to your chests, etc. etc. They worked great and the
back pain went away. However I was concerned that over time it might not
be enough, so I took up swimming.
Eventually I got to the point where I could swim a mile a day. I did
this for a couple of years and then quit. A few years later I started up
again. It took a while to work back up to a mile a day, but it happened
and my back has always been strong since.
So I'm thinking: "How does this apply to the health care bill?" Over
50% of state industrial claims were for back problems. If I hadn't of
taken up swimming and performing the exercises regularly, I could easily
have gone through the medical process, costing myself and the insurance
companies more, and if I followed the rules of gold bricking, state
disability. There were actually state employees whom that was their
ultimate achievement, if they could get it, a state disability check every
month.
You know, I'm a guy. I have a paternal nature like everyone else and
if I thought I could pay twenty or thirty percent of my paycheck to help
other people with their medical problems I would be more than willing, but
the health care bill has made participation mandatory. There are times
when I haven't had a job for years, living off savings, and when that's
gone living in my car. I've been able to pull myself back up, each time,
but if I had had to pay a mandatory medical insurance, I don't know, and
according to what I've heard, become a non-compliant tax felon. What did
I do to them?
For me the benefits are far more beneficial than money. I can bounce
back, as life allows, because I've been fortunate enough to stay healthy
and I've worked towards that, as best I can. So why is health care being
forced down our throats when there are other, more important priorities
when it comes to our health? I'm reminded of the women who was
interviewed at 104 when asked what the secret to longeity was. "Not
having health care insurance," she said. "So I had to stay healthy."
