LIVING ON THE CORNER

I was born on a corner and most likely will die on a corner. There is something interesting about corners and cliches. Such as "when we turn the corner", "cutting corners", "the corner stone", "corner store", and the most famous one in my home: "do not stand at the corner with all those boys!" I do not know what my mother thought would happen to the corner. The sign always looked great, no one was harmed, and most of all it was a convenient corner. My house was on it!


I smile as I hear economists say we are turning the corner. Have they ever seen a corner turned? Corners do not turn. I suppose you could say it is metaphorical turning the corner. I am thinking about putting Obama in a corner. He must stand in that corner until he repeats, "I will fire Eric Holder, I will fire Jay Carney, I will fire Susan Rice, I will fire Valerie Jarret, I will fire David Axelrod, I will fire myself." This is the corner I like.

Yes, living on corners has it benefits. People pass by just like in my youth. They pass by now and if you want the neighborhood gossip it comes to you. If you want to know the political position of the neighborhood it comes right up to you. I have to report my corner is just fine. The people passing are older. They love to share their political views. On my corner I ponder the views of others.  Not everyone is a conservative. Yet more are becoming that way, as their fear grows over Obama's health care.  Doctors here in Florida are now deciding if they will admit you to their practice. It has hit here already. My poor doctor sits at a computer, filling in forms that the government makes him provide for them. Yes, my illness is there, my weight, my height, and anything else they require.

As I said before, the newer doctors are asking to see what medications you take and then they will get back with you. I asked one receptionist why?  Without missing a beat she stated, "Dr. will decide if he will take you". I chimed in, "Based on what?"  She explained that it was based on whether he could handle my problems. I am no different from most people that have a list of medical problems. I never encountered this with my parents' doctors, my husband's parents' doctors. No one asked to see the list of drugs they were on and then get back with us determined on whether they qualified.  I am on nothing but insulin and Celebrex. So I decided that this would be a corner that I would turn. I called the State Medical Board and, lo and behold, guess what: the HIPPOCRATIC OATH no longer exists. A doctor can turn you down for any reason. I did not stop there. I called the states attorneys office, my congressman, my Senator. I finally heard back from several that I wrote to. I was given a number to someone on the Medical Board who promised to get back to me. Still waiting.

In any case, I have turned a corner. I no longer believe that we are a free people. We are hard working people who have an unjust system. Things we took for granted when we were children are forever changed. When doctors can decide who to admit to their practice based on  how healthy you are, then we have crashed as a nation. When the doctor charges more for his time spent on a computer entering everything you have wrong and enters every prescription to the government, we are in trouble. When the pharmacy tells you they cannot get a certain drug the supplier has run out, you scratch your head. I asked my doctor and he said "It is all to do with Obama Health Care and Green Energy. When the green folks are fighting for no oil drilling, they do not realize that drug manufacturers are running on oil to make the pills. We are in a crisis."

My corner is very busy, folks, come by to share their fears. Everyone has a tale to tell. Living on a corner is very interesting; it is the political pulse and news about the neighborhood. Some things never change: there are still girls on the corner holding court with young men. I smile as I observe the flirting. I wonder what the future brings them if we do  not correct this crisis.