Snares That Entrap The Already Disenfrachised

In the U.S., one would think having Blue Cross Blue Shield Insurance is a wonderful thing; ah, but one would be mistaken.  Youth in the U.S. are covered by their parent's Blue Cross Blue Shield, if a parent has this type of insurance, through age 26.  The insurance always presses physicians for early release from medical treatment even when the doctor believes it is not in the person's best interest.

An additional calamity exists with this insurance when a young person is an adult and the co-pays have not been paid.  Medical bills often mount furthering complicating the life of a young adult. These medical bills are reported when delinquent to collect agencies and are posted on credit reports. Additionally, if a young adult lived on their own, but had a medical problem, which caused them to break a lease for an apartment, it is difficult to resolve the matter.

When a woman has been covered under Blue Cross Blue Shield, but goes through a divorce it is difficult to find a full-time position if she has always been a part-time employee.  A women often is forced to accept food stamps, medicaid and medicare.  It takes a long time to get back on your feet and especially if you have had any kind of medical condition such as mental illness to move forward.

Additionally, if you have resided in a group home and that home failed to properly provide your medical information such as a correct spelling of a name, one can also find medical bills that should have been covered, but are disputed by the serving medical party and the insurance company and guess who pays in more way than one, you got it, the client.  Oh, and yes, this too goes on your credit report.

So what does one do, I guess like I am, just keep plugging along and try to be diplomatic so that you can resolve the problems.  Maybe I am not meant to be rich, but at least you will know I always put my best foot forward.

For another perspective on problems in this country, read Mind the gap, from The Economist http://www.ptsd.va.gov/index.asp.  You may need to copy and paste the site into your browser:  highlight the site, then press Ctrl C then press Ctrl V.

Navigating to a Better Life

The United States has a welfare system that is designed by its very nature to oppress those who attempt to improve themselves.  How does one navigate through the system to a better way of life? What is wrong with the design of the system as it stands currently?  Why is it ethically incorrect?  I will attempt to explore all these questions in this blog.

Department of Housing and Urban Development or Hud is wrought with problems by its very nature. Though the rent is based on 30% of the income, there is truly no incentive for an individual to maintain the property, unless it happens to be a part of one's disposition.  Incomes vary for individuals living in subsidized housing. Often Hud properties are fraught with individuals who have some form of illness, substance abuse or mental health issues.

If one has been in a group home, and moved to a Hud unit, often there is inadequate supervision to ensure the well-being of the individual.  I have personally witnessed prescribed medications being dispensed throughout the apartment units from one resident to another resident, especially narcotics.

I am certain when President Reagan envisioned and presented the idea of opening up Senior low-income housing to the disabled, his plan did not include the medication dilemma.  Sadly, helpful programs like Narcotics Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon are not advertised or easily accessible to residents who would benefit from such programs. Veterans are struggling with addiction and there is not a program that is accessible for them either.

I would urge the Federal Government to make such substance abuse programs available within Hud housing or at least provide books that address the issues. Computer accessibility would improve the lives of those who were trying to advance themselves.  Sadly, however, I am discovering many individuals are unable to read.

I have a unique inside track because I live in one of these units.  I can relate one to one with those who are here.  I listen and try to understand the difficulties presented by the environment.  I am immensely grateful to have capitalized on the opportunities outside the unit such as being within walking distance of a Church where I was able to obtain training in adult tutoring acquiring a certificate and am close enough to a library to walk to it and volunteer there.

Additionally, I have recently made contact with the local paper and will be freelancing.  I am blessed to have a young resident who suffers with cerebral palsy assisting me with one of the articles I am working on.  My hope is to open this opportunity to others as my business hopefully prospers and grows.

I realize I have digressed a bit; however, I felt it was necessary to point out that there are opportunities, but sticking points are that some individuals remain in their rooms because they are not easily ambulatory and suffer from depression. Some are cognitively impaired, but again I believe with the proper support and providing a collaborative effort, these individuals could be direct contributors to the workforce.

So why am I talking about work, because, it has been repeated to me over and over again that work provides not only a source of income, but a sense of self-worth.  Often individuals in the American Society who suffer some sort of disability are made to feel they are second class citizens.  Try and live off of an allotment of $42.00 a month in cash for your outside expenses, which many individuals are forced to do because food stamps do not cover taxable items such as toilet paper, toothpaste, shampoo or other such items.

The young man, I alluded to earlier in this blog, is very grounded in his belief system.  He is an inspiration to me.  He is not ambulatory, but he manages to navigate in a scooter.  He has suffered personal losses one after another, but again he remains steadfast in his faith.  We relate to one another because both of us had grandmothers who were important in our lives. Though he cannot easily hold a pen, he works diligently with me to express his opinions and ideas on the things we do together.

Another lady I work with is unable to hear well, but she is dedicated to learning. She wants to properly pronounce each word as she reads, and she feels self-gratification by accomplishing each new word.

One student I may have temporarily lost to the gang world, but I hope one day we will have the opportunity to work together again to try and improve his situation. This young man suffers from dyslexia and finds it difficult to break apart from the gang life where he has found acceptance.

Many in my building have suffered unimaginable losses that many people would find it difficult to overcome.  I am pleased to have a roof over my head and be a part of something that is bigger than I. My hope is to improve the lives of others while improving my life as well.

One of the obstacles in the social security system is that individuals are actually penalized if they want to be married.  The system actually cuts benefits to individuals who are already making a nominal amount of money if they choose to marry.  Many choose to cohabitate while paying on two units at the reduced cost while management and caseworkers look the other way.  In essence, the units are fully occupied.

Additionally, many choose not to fight with the Department of Human Services when their food stamps are cut because the paperwork is so overwhelming, and monies are wasted securing proper documentation for continued benefits.

Many individuals in the State of Michigan cannot afford a car because of the insurance rates for residing in the red-line zone, which pertains to a high crime rate. Cars are already horribly expensive without the additional costs. Transportation often comes down to the bus, which many employers don't want to learn someone is using as a method to get to work.

Bottom line, individuals with disabilities or of low-income need to have opportunities for improvement in their lives.  The young man I am working with on writing some articles speaks about how Christ chose to embrace the ill and the infirmed as a part of His teachings.  Many in America choose to isolate the ill and the infirmed.

Let all of us throughout the world unite for improvement in the attitudes, while changing the hearts and minds of individuals who fail to recognize each individual is a blessing that once born must be recognized for his or her worth because he or she represents life itself.

Book Review on David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell

I originally became familiar with Malcolm Gladwell through a CBS show 60 minutes.  I was impressed by his mannerism.  When he spoke his words were thoughtful, and he himself expressed an amazement at his own success in the literary world.  I was once again reminded of Malcolm Gladwell and the book David and Goliath through linkedin.com.

The presentation of the Biblical story in scientific terms made perfect sense to me. I even remember my eldest brother having a sling shot when he was young. Though the sling shots of old were different, the objective remained the same, hit the target to survive.  I am fully able to accept Goliath may have had a malady, which affected not only his large stature, but that caused his inability to see clearly.  Thus, when Goliath asked David to step closer, David was no fool and refused while shooting his target with one launch of a rock that killed Goliath.

Sometimes determining how to use a strategy is the greatest task.  Goliath thought he would be fighting an army and was insulted when a mere boy was sent to do the task.  Time and again in the book, Gladwell presents instances where the underdog should not have won, but circumstance and attitude work in the person's favor.

The beauty of Gladwell's book is should you read all the chapters in order as I did, you will see how the storyline builds upon itself to reveal comparisons that allow the underdog to win.  You may however, begin with the chapter on David and Goliath or read the section about Martin Luther King's struggle during the civil rights movement or read about the IRA and the protestants and the struggles during British rule and still gain an understanding of the book.

For those who struggle with dyslexia and recognizing how one learns may prove beneficial.  Jumping right into the dyslexia section may be the best place to begin to understand the difficulties faced by individuals with this as a very real part of their learning experience.

I am currently tutoring several individuals with this problem and I am on a learning curve because of the challenges presented to me on the way each has learned to cope with dyslexia.  In particular, I have one student who loves music and rap.  I am trying to use Muhammad Ali's book Ali Rap, which is filled with photos of his career and the wonderful raps he gave before each bout.

The section on WWII where it was predicted that those of London would fall apart at the first bombing proved false because it only strengthened their resolve to survive and not be negatively impacted by what was occurring around them.

I was particularly impressed with the statement that dealt with fear, which essentially states, once you have experienced fear in a particular situation and learn to deal with it differently then fear no longer serves as an obstacle to what you are attempting to accomplish.  I was also impacted by the chapters that dealt with those who were raised by single parents or were orphans.  Though I am not a true orphan in the full sense of the word, I was raised at an orphanage for ten years.  During that time, I learned how to survive.  When I went home at the age of twelve, I was forced into adult responsibilities, so my sense of the world was different.  I am not wealthy monetarily, but that is not the wealth I seek.  What is important to me is impacting others and having a sense of community and lasting bonds of friendship. When I spoke with my Russian Jewish friends they too alluded to the fact that having friendships make you wealthy.

There are chapters that simply cannot be read out of order, in particular, those dealing with the success of treating leukemia in children and the independent determination of a doctor to prove his theory correct.  Once you have also been reading a section that deals with a particular conflict in a region it is best to finish that section.

Police officials may find this book useful in recognizing how too much force actually can impede their objective in working with a community and in trying to bring calm to a situation.  Joanne Jaffe success in Brownsville New York serves as a platform for demonstrating how dealing with a community differently can change the outcome in a positive manner.

Ultimately, I think this book is a quick read that one does not have to be a reader to enjoy.  If you are not into to statistics, that is fine as the concepts are simple enough without the graphs.  I highly recommend this book for students who are college bound or in their first year of college as it is a terrific historical work.  The content is diverse and is perfect for students seeking direction in identifying a career he or she may want to pursue.

Only 45 pages left to go on David and Goliath

I will be posting my review this weekend.  Are you about done reading?  I look forward to sharing my impressions with you regarding the many events provided by Malcolm Gladwell.  So get out your reading glasses and your notes to compare with my impressions.  Until then, have fun completing the book.

Update on Review of David and Goliath

I hope you are continuing to read the book, David and Goliath, with me.  I am on page 140, as many things occupy my days, but, so far, this has been a worthwhile read.  A full review is yet to come, so keep reading, Malcolm Gladwell's book.

David and Goliath

For those who are interested, I am about to read David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell.  Join me for a review.

If I Were A Comedian

I tell you there is so much material available in the real world,  I think I could make it as a stand-up comedian.  Learning to have the confidence, timing, and stage presence is something I definitely would have to master.  President Obama, seems to have a handle on timing.  He comes in soft and low and knows just how to the land the line.

This will be my effort to express the hidden humor.

Let's start with men.  Have you ever noticed how men, the fix-up guys, designated car parts, plumbing parts and other parts with names, such as: female fitting with male end, that sob when the thing won't cooperate, hose bib, c-clamps, sill cocks, ball cocks, plungers, monkey wrenches and any other things that you can think of?

Now what if we were the handy women?  I'm not saying I'm handy, but I do try. Plunging a sink seems to have been my latest challenge.  I was just as good at plunging the water out of the drain as having the sprayed water give me a new hair dew.  I have; however, recently re-discovered hair color. I decided having my hair colored was a better master plan than my God given early gray hair.  At least, I could cover that flaw, while I work on trying to bring the sagging belly back in shape.

When I lived in Fowlerville, Michigan, I had to learn how to handle a tennis racquet, but instead of volleying with balls, it was 2:00 a.m. session with bats.  I waited 22 years for the house to be sealed against bats, but it was a lower rank than my ex-husband's car projects. Have you ever heard the sound of bats in your walls?  Not only do you hear a high pitched noise, you get the added benefit of hearing them scratch on the other side of the wall right when you're trying to sleep. I probably could have volleyed a short time with Venus and Serena Williams with the number of years I spent smacking those damn bats.

I promised I'd share that earlier bat story with you.  The darn bat tenants were not the culprits of my rabies problem.  It was a lone bat, who leaped out of a tree during daylight hours and made a noise, in my right ear.  My ex-husband grabbed a shovel and smacked the bat.  My neighbor saved me from an ugly demise, by informing me that the bat should be taken to the health office, for testing. Sure enough, the bat was positive for rabies, so began my series of shots. Well, I am already certifiable, I didn't need a bat to emphasize the point.

Let's talk about duct tape.  My house was the poster child for duct tape.  Instead of proper borders for the drywall, you guessed it, my bedroom was lined in duct tape.  If duct tape couldn't fix the problem, there wasn't a problem.

When we first moved into the home, there was no operating toilet, and do you think the plumbing was right, of course not, we had our own personal waterfall. Our house could have been the show house for the movie, "The Money Pit."

There were good times at the house, but I am glad the people who purchased our home had the time, money and patience to make it look nice.  I had a new roof put on the place.  We had circuit breakers placed in the home along with a water heater and a porcelain sink, but it takes love to keep a home and that had faded over the years.

Now that I am living in an apartment, I really don't have to do maintenance work; however, I am pleased when I am able to accomplish minor things.

Taking situations and seeing the humor in them may take time, but realizing life isn't so bad is truly important.

My father was the master of humor.  When he attended my brother's wedding, he placed a sign on his walker that said Cadillac Brome, (Brougham), spelling was never his forte.  He enjoyed laughing and so did the people around him. Occasionally, the whiskey was a bit too much, nevertheless, he was a funny man who loved to sing especially when a bit intoxicated.  He would belt out the Irish song "Harrigan."

Mother's laugh was intoxicating.  Most often she was without expression when Dad was up to some antics, but when he got her laughing, the whole O'Connor Clan would be in an uproar.

I'm glad I am able to reflect on life with my own sense of humor, as there is no doubt, it has saved me.  I try to never look back and  accept the person I've become.