TRYING TO RETURN TO REGULAR POSTS

PASSPORT OR VISA, PLEASE

A Facebook acquaintance brought up the thought of moving his family to Europe for a couple of years.

Oh, I should add that HE would be going also, not JUST his family.

If I was in charge of the world, besides having mandatory afternoon naps and chocolate as one of the five major food groups, every high school age kid in the U.S. would have to live one full year outside of America.

Not necessarily in Ethiopia or Thailand, but someplace where you are no longer under the support of the United States.

We as Americans complain incessantly about the evil of our government, our politicians, our health care. Without stopping to notice on incredibly critical thing:

We CAN complain.

We can gripe, we can protest, we can print, we can put in on the Internet, we can carry signs, put bumper stickers on our cars, argue for hours with people who completely agree with us (we normally don't argue with people who DON'T agree with us because they are just idiots, right?).

Because we are Americans.

We don't stop to think that in many, many countries, we would be arrested - executed - thrown in jail without even the mockery of a trial - our family slaughtered - our possessions taken over - our home and property destroyed - for even a PEEP of a complaint about the government.

We scream about taxes - but we drive on maintained roads. Education is terrible - but our children can go to free public schools. Women are not paid as much as men - but we can work, vote, walk alone, drive a car, go shopping alone. Health care is a joke - but do you know anyone personally who has died from inadequate medical care?

Forget it just being high school kids, I think EVERYone should have to live for a year somewhere else.

-- In Saudi Arabia, simply because you are female, you may be charged with prostitution if caught socializing (i.e. talking) with any male other than your husband.

-- In El Salvador, many citizens are armed and shoot-outs are common, but as a visitor, you cannot carry a firearm.

-- In Burma, gatherings of more than five people are banned.

-- In Dijbouti, both TB and polio are prevalent.

-- In Zimabawe, the current life expectancy is 39.5 years.

I think sometimes we need to be more aware of how wonderful the U.S.A. is.

DOWN VS UP

I get unreasonably irritated every time I hear something along the lines of:

-- Cases of breast cancer within the city limits of Kalamazoo have risen 24% over the past ten years!

-- Your chance of developing testicular tumors as a adolescent girl are 200% better than they were last month!

-- If one of your parents is dead, chances are you will be dead within the next 48 years!

Not that very long ago, people died at relatively young ages. The life expectancy in 1900 was only into your early 30's - in 1950, it was 58 - up until the current statistical chance of living well into your late 70's.

My maternal grandmother died at age 34 - probably hemorrhaging or infection following childbirth at a farm. Her father died at age 29 - and his father at age 34.

Autopsies were not performed. Cancers were not diagnosed. People just 'died.'

And you died from the flu - from a cut - from what we would consider a minor childhood illness.

But you didn't hear about people suffering from depression. There weren't headlines in the papers about cocaine addiction (although in the 1910 cocaine was still an actual additive to Coca-Cola - whole other story there).

Was that because, like cancer, it simply was not recognized and/or diagnosed? Or was it because you normally didn't have a lot of extra time or energy after growing your own food, working an exceedingly physical job, walking almost everywhere, not having television, a radio, or a whole lot of books to read.
So was it high levels of endorphins from all the physical labor? Because no one knew (or cared) about the stock market? Or when you married someone it was almost impossible, both socially and legally, to divorce them? in 1900, that one in every five children died before their fifth birthday?

I'm not really expecting any answers, I'm just expounding on a thought process that began yesterday when I was dealing with a semi-suicidal, clinically depressed spouse.

Somethings I think we just have too much free time. Too much information. Too many little tiny things that get blown way huge out of proportion.