Plaid and proud
We’re just a few days out from the rally now and I’m starting to wonder how I’ll fit everything I need into my car. The banner, the table, the amp, the carpet for underneath the table, photos, luggage, my guitar (so Trey and I can play a little).
And then there’s the details. I’ve never been really good at details, so it’s good I have people to back me up. Christian has been amazing. He’s so into this. He’s posting flyers and posters all over town, telling everybody he comes across.
This is one of the most gutsy things I’ve ever done. One friend asked me yesterday if we’re going to get arrested, but I have all the permits and everything and we’re not going to chain ourselves the the revolving door at the hospital or anything.
I told the people at Memorial Health that I wasn’t going away, that I would be back with a lot of people to talk about health care. I don’t think they believed me — I’m not sure I believed me.
But here we are, permits in a row, posters up, announcements having been published in the paper, and all we need now is for people to come out and tell their stories.
I read an estimate today that 100,000 people a year are dying for lack of medical care. I know it’s at least 25,000. When those numbers sound too big to comprehend, I think about how much I miss Mike — how much we all do. I think about the pain that’s physical sometimes and about how much I miss his voice and his complaining about how dumb some people are and how much he loved being out of synch with our comsumeristic culture. He was so proud of being offbeat and often inappropriate and of how he could make people gasp in horror at his sense of humor before they started laughing hysterically at how funny he was. I think about how many people have told me that he saved their lives or made them a better person.
Then I multiply that by 25,000 and that’s the pain this country feels every year. What a horrible loss. How could I not respond?
Tags: Patient Pals & Family Friends
Life o' Mike has a new peer support program for people newly diagnosed with chronic or serious illness or with a new disability and their caregivers.
Patient Pals are people who have experience with various illnesses and disabilities, who can help someone newly diagnosed or with a new disability work through the fear, frustration, confusion and grief often experienced in the first few months.
Family Friends are there to help caregivers and other family members grow into their new role.
People with new illness or disability fare better when they have a role model -- someone who can help them negotiate their new path in life.
We need volunteers, who are asked to donate a minimum of one hour a week. Training is free and includes information on active listening, ways to help and when to know more help is needed.
And of course, we need funding.
To learn more, call Leslie Boyd at 828-243-6712 or e-mail lifeomike@gmail.com.
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