Sick, Sick, Sick

Is Anybody Home?

Have you seen the new Michael Moore movie Sicko? I don't usually write about movies or even go see them (I love being outdoors these days and have plenty of TV and DVDs if I want them), but…

I’ve had dozens of conversations with friends in the last month, and the number of people who’ve said, "I can't see the Michael Moore movie because my life is already so stressed, I don’t need it” really shocks me! I’ve been surprised at the quality of intelligent and even liberal people who don’t want to see the film. What’s up with that?

Last night an acquaintance said, "Okay, you talked me into it. I'll see it." This reluctance scares me. I do understand, because I know I had to force myself to go on a lovely summer night, when I would rather have listened to the crickets! But, I walked out with a huge smile on my face! The man is brilliant and this movie is funny, inspiring, and just what the public needs to open our eyes. We have to admit the problems in our health care delivery, which fails to fulfill our basic needs. I mean, how many bake sales can we hold for friends who have overwhelming medical bills? Is that a health care system?

Okay, I know I learned from my cat to get my hairballs out for relief. And, yeah, Michael Moore gives some really good hairball himself. But hey, this movie proposes ways to DO something!

I guess if you’re all too busy, it worries me to death. And if my demise doesn't happen because of a staff infection that I got in the hospital, it'll probably be from of a voicemail system that led me down one too many primrose paths before I dropped on the rug. Or, you never know: maybe I'll stop being able to afford health care entirely! A friend last week told me he pays seventeen hundred dollars a month for his family’s medical insurance. Good Gawd!

Or, maybe I’ll stop drooling in defeat and help to create a system that works for all of us. I guess if nobody wants to even see this movie, that's the way the old health ball bounces. But hey, last call! Get off your booty and give yourself the gift of laughter and the insight you need to make a difference. Just do it—and then, insist on affordable health care for all.