In Search of...a new season

I'm in New York, and today's the day the temperature is finally supposed to start matching the time of year it is. I love autumn. Well, let me rephrase that - I love autumn on the east coast. I like a chill in the air that promises changing leaves, cool breezes and sweatshirt weather. I love the richer colors and inexplicable desire to buy school supplies.

Every year at this time I find myself reassessing my life, taking more resolute steps in the direction of my dreams. This year is no exception. After spending the entirety of the summer rallying the troops for legitimate health care reform, I am exhausted, weary of the struggle and skeptical that my efforts mattered at all. Oh, on a better day, I would tell you that everyone's efforts matter, but today I am ready to let go of the vitriol in favor of a little peace.

This brings me to what many of my trusty readers have been waiting for...the fall TV lineup. Oh, rest assured as my old favorites return and the new ones emerge I will be writing about it. In an effort start things off on the right note, I am eagerly awaiting Tom DeLay's early expulsion from Dancing with the Stars. Call me crazy, but I don't think we should reward convicted criminals even if it does turn out that he can dance - which I doubt, but you never know.

I am off to the gym now, eagerly anticipating the joys of my iPod Nano. (I don't eagerly anticipate the actual exercise.)

Thanks for stopping by. Please tell your friends.

In Search of...the time of my life

As I received the news of Patrick Swayze's passing, I felt numb. Like Ted Kennedy's death, it was an expected passing, and yet the realization somehow caught me off-guard. For a man who never won an Oscar, an Emmy, or a Tony, he sure made a lasting impact on our popular culture. More than that, he was a great teacher to us all in how to live and die with dignity and how to fight past pain and prognosis.

For a man who made the largest portion of his fame as a sexy leading man, he led a pretty quiet life away from the tabloids and with one woman. What many may not know is that he tried to own as much land as he could in order to fix mismanaged forests and create wildlife preserves. Perhaps that is his greater, though less spoken about lasting legacy.

I've been thinking lately about that song from Dirty Dancing - The Time of My Life, and the implications of a life lived in celebration. In this era of pettiness and greed, and in this year of such great loss, wouldn't it be beneficial to stop and look at the bigger picture? Wouldn't it be a better idea to stop and give thanks for those moments and people that have made our lives joyous and given them meaning?

There is enough to fret over and be unhappy about without even trying. What if we tried just for a moment to recall something that made us smile? What if we took a moment to look up at the sky, or into the eyes of a child, or into the mirror. Wouldn't we say that even with all of our trials and tribulations we've had the time of our lives?

Thanks for stopping by, and rest in peace, Patrick Swayze. Dance on, dance on.

In Search of...walking the talk

It's Sunday, and you know what that means. Politics. But I'm getting ready to go to an anniversary party, and so I am trying to reconcile party and politics mode.

As was expected, the president spoke last Wednesday night about health care reform to a joint session of congress. I held my breath as he began. As speeches go, it was a good one with a passionate delivery. Unfortunately, I've grown weary of the rhetoric, especially since what President Obama will settle for seems to change with the tides of political fortune. Oh, don't get me wrong, the democrats will pass something, but I doubt it will be something that will benefit those who need it most, nor will it slap the wrists of those who are gouging the system.

Reaction to the content of the speech was largely overshadowed by the big hubbub made about Joe Wilson, the Congressman from South Carolina who yelled out "You lie" while President Obama was speaking. Did he think he was in a bar? Or was he just raised by a pack of wolves? Surely there is some congressional book of etiquette that you're given before they let you into the club. Shame on him.

For my part, I had a problem with the president's new definition of "public option." As I understood him, this would only be available to people with no coverage at all. That defeats the purpose of creating competition for the insurance companies. Take someone like me whose premiums have nearly tripled. I would take the public option in a heartbeat, but now this would not be available to me because I already have coverage that I would not be allowed to leave for a more affordable public option. How is that driving down costs? It's not. I would drop my policy now and gamble, but I don't have the stomach to bet on the federal government coming through for me on this. Do you?

And for a final note about the speech I go back to Ted Kennedy. Senator Kennedy sent a letter to the president regarding health care reform shortly before his death. So why didn't the president read the darn letter? Everyone was waiting with baited breath. Even Joe Wilson was quiet. And yet, President Obama never read it, he just quoted a phrase here and there. What a disappointment.

Maybe I'm getting cranky because we are running out of time. Maybe I am losing heart and faith in the man whose poetic words seemed like they could move the mountains of inertia and corporate greed in Washington. Maybe I expected that his passion for the best interests of the American people would give him the qualities necessary to achieve those results. Maybe I thought that the long shot coming from behind to win a history-making election had the gumption to twist a few congressional and senatorial arms when and if necessary.

I've said that I was holding off on my presidential report card, but maybe it's time for a warning that he's about to flunk. Harsh words coming from me? You bet. But he's about to compromise away the life and death of many Americans with a democratic majority in the house and senate. That's just not okay with me.

So Mr. President, please walk your talk - the talk you gave that said we will rise up to meet the needs of this moment in history. Let's actually make good on that.

God Bless America, and thanks for stopping by. Please tell your friends.

In Search of...an "In Memoriam" redux

As the President prepares to address a joint session of Congress, a Congress that will be absent one Ted Kennedy, I thought it appropriate to reprint my original In Memoriam blog that was only up for a few hours. So here it is again -

In Memoriam
(originally printed Wednesday, August 26th, 2009)

I was up watching TV late last night when breaking news interrupted my regularly scheduled programing. Senator Ted Kennedy lost his battle with brain cancer.

I was alone on my couch, sitting silently as tears began to flow down my cheeks. I have handled the losses of the public figures that we have all lost this year with calm sympathy comparatively - from Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Natasha Richardson, and Bea Arthur to Walter Cronkite and Eunice Shriver. But Teddy? I can't even. The loss feels personal.

In many ways he is the United States Senate...or at least what is good and just about it anyway. He has been the Senator from Massachusetts my entire lifetime and the thought of a future without him there seems unthinkable. So does healthcare reform - the cause for which he fought his entire career. I'd like to think that some other senator will pick up the torch, but I'm not that optimistic when it comes to Congress.

The TV channels are flooded with footage of his life and career, most of it repetitive. There's the seemingly carefree child, impish in appearance and often overshadowed by his older brothers in early adulthood. Then there's the young senator, the plane crash survivor, the somber rock of Gibraltar walking each widowed sister-in-law in the funeral processions of his slain brothers. There is the devoted uncle escorting his niece Caroline down the aisle at her wedding in happier times, the last remaining son burying his mother, the uncle scattering his princely nephew's ashes at sea after the plane crash that took his life. There was the scandal at Chappaquiddick, the drinking, the divorce, and the re-marriage that changed him for good. If anything at all can be said of Edward Kennedy, it is that he was profoundly human.

In days to come he will be eulogized and memorialized. He will no doubt be relegated to history as the larger than life lion that he was. Young upstarts like our President will not have the benefit of his wise counsel, nor will the rest of his colleagues have the benefit of his genuine leadership and friendship. The generation that encompassed Camelot will finally be laid to rest - literally, leaving us all a little bit emptier.

Who now will fight the good fight? Who will lead and not follow? What rich white man is going to be the voice for the poor minority? Who has the strength of character to dedicate themselves to a life of real public service? Who can weather the politics and the name calling, and the shifting tides of public opinion? Who has that kind of fortitude?

Since his diagnosis with cancer, I've often thought about the Senator's inevitable passing. As I look at pictures of his huge close-knit Irish family who are all but gone (there's one left of that generation, Jean Kennedy Smith), I imagine that there is great celebrating going on in heaven. I imagine Ted being reunited with his parents and brothers and sisters after a lifetime of earthly tragedy. I imagine some raucous heavenly football game taking place. I believe the only loss that's being suffered now is our own, and it is a monumental one.

Because I am a believer in the unfettered power of those who have left their human shackles behind, I am believing for Ted to have a greater ability to usher the kind of reform in death that he could not accomplish in his time on earth. I am praying for miraculous turnarounds that begin on an individual soul level and end with legislation that benefits all of us equally for generations to come. I believe that it is possible.

So thanks for taking on the needs of a grateful nation, and rest in peace, Teddy. Rest in peace.

In Search of...an alternative to "This LIttle Light of Mine"

Yesterday was Sunday, politics day on my blog. But since practically every day has turned into politics day on my blog, I took the day off...not from watching my Sunday pundits mind you, but from blogging about my frustrations, and outrage, and hope upon hope that substantive healthcare reform will take place in Washington as our representatives return from their healthy vacations.

While consumed with concerns about the character of our nation, I got to thinking about the rally I attended a few days ago and the three choruses of This Little Light of Mine for their song choice, and I decided that for a special Labor Day holiday blog I would impart my personal favorite songs of social conscience to you so you can add them your iPods and/or music libraries if you're so inclined.

The order is based on interesting listening flow as opposed to any order of preference.


"Note to God" - written by Diane Warren, recorded by Charice
"Abraham, Martin & John" - written by Dick Holler and recorded by Dion
"Don't Laugh at Me" - written by Steve Seskin & Allen Shamblin, recorded by Mark Wills
"Stones in the Road" - recorded and written by Mary Chapin Carpenter
"What If Jesus Comes Back Like That" - written by Pat Bunch and Doug Johnson, recorded by Collin Raye
"Praying for Time" - written by George Michael but done impeccably by Carrie Underwood on Idol Gives Back
"Change is Gonna Come" - this song was written by Sam Cooke and recorded by everyone who ever lived pretty much. My favorites versions are the original Sam Cooke version and the more recent Bettye LaVette version.
"Satisfied Mind" - written by Tony Arata and recorded by Hal Ketchum
"The Times They Are A-Changin' " written by Bob Dylan. The recording that absolutely gets me at my core is by Keb' Mo' and you must download it now!
"We Shall Be Free" - written and recorded by Garth Brooks

Thanks for stopping by...and enjoy!

In Search of...a real rally

Yesterday was the big rally for healthcare reform, and I know you are all dying to know how it went.

I spent the time between my phone call from Tennessee Citizen Action and the rally preparing to speak. I filled out the necessary on line form they sent and I got busy formulating my thoughts. Well, heck I've been expressing my thoughts on healthcare reform for months here, so it was really just a matter of whittling it down to bullet points on index cards. Then came the practice of not looking at them. For thirty-six hours I practiced pacing and speaking loudly and slowly and passionately (which wasn't hard). I envisioned myself being Ted Kennedy - well, if Ted Kennedy were a short Jewish woman living in Tennessee.

I was excited and nervous as my friends and I drove downtown together and parked a few blocks away from where the rally was to be held. My friends Tanya and Arnie were excited to hear me speak publicly for the first time, as was the additional unnamed Canadian friend we brought along with us for good measure. This was going to be great. I was ready.

We made our way to the park across the street from Congressman Jim Cooper's office where news vans were already assembled and cameras were rolling. There was a smattering of people gathered and I began to feel like this wasn't going to be what I'd expected.

I found the guy with the clipboard to check in. He wasn't the one I had spoken with on the phone. As a matter of fact he had no idea who I was and I wasn't on his list of people slated to speak. He said, "We'll try to squeeze you in," as he scribbled my name on the side of the paper on his clipboard. I knew it wasn't going to happen. Anytime anyone says they're going to "try" to do something, it's a definite no.

Someone brought huge signs for us all to hold, the only sign of organization that I could depict. I chose the one that said "real healthcare reform is a public option." I stood in the front row as the news cameras squarely captured my sign.

I held the index cards in my left hand behind the big orange oak tag sign, and I scanned the crowd as people began to speak. There were less than one hundred people there, mostly minorities and college students. As a whole, the crowd looked bedraggled in the sweltering heat. This was not a group of affluent people, nor was it well organized.

For their part, the groups in charge tried to make it seem like a real rally, chanting responsively, "What do we want? - Healthcare. When do we want it? Now!" Had they done it with more conviction to a larger turn out, it might of been effective, but instead it just seemed pitiful.

And where was our representative, Jim Cooper? Well, he certainly wasn't at our "rally," but then again, with such a poor response to such an important issue I don't think his attendance would have changed his position - a position that has fluctuated like a ping pong ball according to those at the rally, leaving us with no exact knowledge of how he's going to vote.

As I'd assumed would be the case, I never got to speak. I lost out to the uninsured amputee in the wheelchair and the lady who can't afford surgery for her uterine polyps. I guess that's as it should be.

By the time we'd said the Pledge of Allegiance and gotten to the third chorus of "This Little Light of Mine" led by a Baptist college student, my eyes were rolling in the back of my head. It was an embarrassment that at this critical moment in history when literally life and death are riding on the choices our legislators are about to make, the best my progressive counterparts could do was a handful of people singing folk songs. Believe me, no one appreciates a well placed folk song as much as I do, but this was not the time for self-soothing.

This is the time for patriotism, the kind of patriotism that says that healthcare reform is more than an economic issue; it's a human rights issue. The kind of patriotism that says it is unacceptable to make healthcare a privilege for the fortunate few who can afford it while the rest of our society perishes. It is time for the kind of patriotism that favors human life over corporate profit margins.

That's what I would have said if I'd had the opportunity.

As Congress returns to Washington, D.C. next week, please call them. Email them. Write them. Flood their offices in the kind of way that makes it clear that this issue will not go away and that in the final analysis they do answer to the people.

Here once again are the links:

http://www.senate.gov/reference/common/faq/How_to_contact_senators.htm
https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

Thanks for stopping by. Please tell your friends.

In Search of...the courage to lead

I am very brave on paper. Really. I can and will say anything that's on my mind or in my heart, and so I've been forthcoming about health care reform in my blog and in my letters to my representatives including the President and his Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel. I have no trouble being outspoken with friends either, especially those who share my political views. That's easy. However, I have never been the one leading the charge.

Don't misunderstand me, I've wanted to lead the charge, but I've just never had the courage. So there I was, sitting at home minding my own business last night, when the phone rang. It was a nice young man named Tom from an organization called Health Care for America Now. He was calling to garner support for an upcoming rally this Thursday. He called the right house. He couldn't get a more enthusiastic supporter for the cause and so we chatted. Before too long he was asking if I would speak at the rally. I hesitated. My palms began sweating. I found the idea of this both exhilarating and terrifying at the same time.

There was an internal dialogue going on inside my head that Tom was oblivious to. It went something like this: "Ilene, this is your chance to make a difference and stand up for something you believe in. This is your opportunity to be heard." Then another voice was saying, "Are you out of your mind? You are shy and way too soft-spoken to do any kind of public speaking, especially at a rally." Then the other voice would say, "It's now or never. You have a chance to lead."

Schizophrenic? Hardly. Did I mention that there's a bull horn involved? I started having visions of Sally Field in Norma Rae. Is this who I am? It is my fantasy vision of myself, but not the one I've ever thought I had the capacity to actually carry out. Yet here I am, with the gifts of passion, articulation, and opportunity at a pivotal moment in history. Isn't it incumbent on me to act?
I believe it is. And so I'm awaiting Tom's email with the details for tomorrow.

In the meantime, I'm going to jot down some thoughts and facts - like how my premiums have nearly tripled in the last seven years...and how they almost equal my rent. Oh, and how I had to agree to a rider in order to get coverage in the first place, and so they won't cover anything to do with headaches (which they cause a lot of, so that's really unfair)...and how if I want to increase my out of pocket and deductible to lower my premiums it would be considered a new policy and therefore the pre-existing conditions clause would be in effect for a year and nothing would be covered. Well, I guess I am ready.

I'll report back to you, my trusty readers in detail about how this goes tomorrow. In the meantime, here's what I need YOU to do - get involved. Call your representatives, including the President. Below is the link to the site.

http://www.healthcareforamericanow.org/

Thanks for stopping by. Please tell your friends.