Eye of a Needle

Yesterday the family went out for a lunch that was supposed to be more awkward than stepping out of some dude's car with your stockings off just to have the abstinence talk with your folks.

In all honesty, it wasn't that bad.

My dad invited Some Dude to lunch. Amanda and I met Some Dude during last week's coffee hour at church. Last week Some Dude had thought it totally appropriate to hit on Amanda upon meeting and then ask her out after five minutes of bland conversation.

Anyways, so Cogans with the family and Some Dude. Undoubtedly he probably assumed we were the atypical gun-slinging, marry your daughters off, Bush bumper sticker, Bible thumping Baptists. Which is probably why he is seemed so shocked when I said that I personally thought Obamacare (as he called it) was a good idea. In fact, if we could be more like the Frenchies I think the good ol' US of A would be a better functioning country as a whole.

To which he rebutted,

"You'll see! When you get a job you're not gonna want half your paycheck going to the man!"

I don't know why it's this one issue that irks me so much. Maybe it's because everyone is so greedy with their money. Maybe it's because they can't seem to see outside their little cardboard box of a life that maybe (just maybe) this plan would work. I mean why should I expect someone who goes to church to believe that worldly possessions aren't important. I mean the whole rich man, camel, eye of a needle thing? Yea right! Who reads that anyways?? Let's focus on living our lives as we would and then get a "holier than thou" attitude just because we can sit still in nice clothes for one hour a week.

I say all that because some guy came into work last night with a tumor the size of a baseball on his neck. Homeless and hungry. Weak because his body is slowly killing itself. This guy didn't come in to ask for money or free popcorn but just because he needed someone to vent to. I offered up Ghent United Ministries and the Union Mission but apparently if you don't get your shit together within a certain time then you're out on the street again. Awesome system.

This guy, who calls himself Ol Big Pops, can't get adequate health care. Why? It's expensive and he can't pay for it. He can't pay for it because he doesn't have a job. He can't get a job because he's too weak from the cancer. Vicious cycle. Of course it doesn't have to be like that. We could follow the example of other revolutionary countries and offer free healthcare. Or we could just hold onto our money and watch as the sick get sicker, all the while saying "Well, what do you expect me to do about it?"