A dream about healthcare; a suggestion to President Obama.
- September 23rd, 2009
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THIS POST IS FROM A BLOG ARCHIVE AT i83ruington.wordpress.com, AND IS PART OF A CONSOLIDATION OF BLOGS, AND OTHER WEB CONTENT.
Normally, I try to live on 6 – 8 hours of sleep. When that happens I find myself dreaming very little, but last night / this morning I found myself consuming nearly 12 hours of sleep and as a result woke up with fading memories of a few wild dreams.
Lately I’ve become consumed with the issue of US healthcare. I’ve been reading blogs. I’ve been following members of Congress, CNN, Libertarians and others on Twitter. I read nearly every post related to healthcare and I RT (re-tweet) every issue I feel is important to pass on. I can’t say I’m surprised that last night I had a dream that I personally met with the POTUS (President Of The United States) Barack Obama and gave him my “two cents” on healthcare reform.
As dreams often go, most of it didn’t make sense. I grew up watching Crocodile Dundee, and for whatever reason clips of that movie, with ‘yours truly’ as a main character flashed through my mind as part of this dream, but I digress – back to the real issue.
I remember finding myself in a neighborhood. This was a typical middle-class neighborhood, small – medium sized brick houses with vinyl siding, average-size yards with green, freshly mowed lawns. I don’t remember any smells, or sounds of significant import other than a conversation the POTUS was having with a “neighbor”.
I was standing at a chain-link fence tending to my yard. I don’t know if I was weed-eating my lawn, pulling weeds or just admiring the work of my green thumb, but I recall there were two teenage boys in the adjacent yard playing; their garage door was open. I heard Barack Obama and the neighbor’s wife talking. They weren’t discussing anything worth mentioning, just…talking. I thought to myself, “Now’s my chance. Get over there and tell Barack Obama what YOU think should be done about national healthcare [reform].” So I did.
I walked around the fence and passed, if not through the two boys playing in the yard; they paid me no particular attention. Of course, I didn’t find myself walking up to the POTUS as I rounded the corner of the garage and walked under the door. My mind flashed forward to a seated interview-style “meeting” with the POTUS on a carpeted floor. We spoke very little before a small child, who I could only assume was his daughter (although she looked nothing like either of his ‘real’ daughters) came bounding in and jumped on his lap. I felt a connection to the man as a fellow father. I said, “Hi” to the little girl to which she cordially, and politely replied, “Hello.” I asked her name. She responded and then, with a big smile on her face said, “It’s very nice to meet you sir.” I remember feeling good, and appreciating the manners of this young girl. Admittedly, I have a soft spot for young girls as the father of an 8-year old girl and as a result fell victim to my ‘weakness’ and found myself conversing with this young child and totally ignoring the POTUS. I can’t remember the verbal exchange between myself, and the POTUS’ daughter, but I remember [in my dream] it lasted a mere moment before I was again transported to a different place.
I was standing at a table on which lay [what looked every bit like] a tape recorder, although this tape recorder worked in real-time, very much like a phone. The POTUS was on the “other-end” of this tape recorder and we were talking. For whatever reason there were two of my friends, from work standing there with me. I spoke to the President. I told him, “Mr. President, if I may: I’m no politician, I’m not the smartest guy, but I’m learning more everyday. As I become more and more aware of and informed about the issue of healthcare reform, I wonder if you might consider the following: let’s address, as a nation as single issue of healthcare and work to resolve IT, and it alone before we act as David and try to tackle the giant, Goliath without becoming fully prepared.” He replied to me, “Okay. Let’s here what you’re proposing.”
I was sitting in a chair…again, the same chair on which I met Barack Obama’s daughter. Random.
I looked at Barack Obama, and I said, “Sir, and let my friends here back me up on this, but I believe we should address the issue of health insurance, the premiums paid, the companies involved and work to reform this very small segment of the healthcare industry. There are already a multitude of participating, and cooperative companies that would work with you to help save the American people money towards the cost of their health insurance.”
The end.
I don’t know if what I proposed was worth discussing face-to-face with the “Most Powerful Man Alive”, but I tried. I’ve become border-line obsessed with this issue and I feel that no one can be ignorant and turn a blind-eye to what’s happening in Washington. Unfortunately, I’m convinced most [or at least the large majority] of Americans are just waiting for the Government to swoop in and fix healthcare as we know it.
I had a dream. You’ve now read it. Please comment below and let me know your thoughts on my dream and on healthcare reform.
THIS POST IS FROM A BLOG ARCHIVE AT i83ruington.wordpress.com, AND IS PART OF A CONSOLIDATION OF BLOGS, AND OTHER WEB CONTENT.