The attraction of negativity

Kelly: Picture this; you read something on Facebook about so and so's rant about x topic/place/person. There's a slew of "right on's!" and "you tell them!" and "you're right!"  You see a friend of yours crying because they're upset something didn't go right, then a few people gather around, hug them, tell them everything's ok. You work with kids/teenagers and one of them starts throwing a fit, so all of a sudden all of your attention has to go away from everyone who's behaving themselves to the one person who's acting out. 

Does any of this sound familiar to any of you? I'm guessing probably so. 

So now picture this; you see someone walking down the street, and they're happy go lucky, not a care in the world. You walk on by and let them be without asking. You read something on Facebook about how so and so had a good day. Chances are, you probably just skipped right over it and didn't even think about it. 

And now I've probably got you thinking. Have you noticed that in today's world, attention goes on negative attitudes/behaviors? Or is that just me? Has anyone else but me wondered why that is? I'm fairly certain we've touched on this subject before, but it bears repeating, at least I think it does. It's kind of frustrating to me, you know? I think I find it most frustrating because I don't have an answer to the very question I'm posing. Why????? It just seems so backwards. I know it's something I'm guilty of too, and it happens a lot, especially where I work. Some days it seems like all I do is put out bombs caused by temper tantrums, and it really takes away from the time I want to spend praising those for having a good attitude. I'm trying to be more mindful of how I am too and about what I share on social media. Is what I'm posting really going to help someone? Encourage someone? Or am I just using it as a platform to excuse my lack of better word, bitch about something that I have no control over? Just a little food for thought.  

Holly: Yes, I notice it. I notice it a lot. Or, on another extreme...if you're positive, "bubbly", or just a good-natured person, sometimes you're asked "what's wrong with you?" Like, why are you like that all the time? I once had a boss tell me I was too nice. 

What? 

I don't get it either. I mean, from personal experience, the longer I spend time with someone who is just perpetually in a crappy mood, the more I find that I'M starting to get affected by it. I'm turning more cynical, negative.  Why do we, or others, find it irresistible to feed into drama, rants, general negativity? I don't get it. Someone please explain! 

I too am doing my best to be mindful...hence my 365-day gratitude/thankfulness picture project I'm doing on Facebook (so is Kelly). I know it's not much. But I like to post things on Facebook to encourage, make someone laugh, invoke joy. Positivity! They say nice guys finish last and I just don't think that's true. We should always be kind to one another and build one another up. And one way you can do that, definitely, is through social media. But don't just stop there. Really try to be a positive example wherever you go. I'm working on it every day. Because, truthfully, I'd much rather be told I'm "too nice" than the opposite.  

Identities and labels

Kelly: Who am I? Who are you? First things first, but not necessarily in that order. I identify as a Christian, first off. I'm a nurse, a friend, sister, daughter, among others. I don't have a "someone" in my life, so I don't have any sort of identification as a "girlfriend" or "fiance" or "spouse..." yet.

And I'm ok with that.

It took me a long LONG time to actually accept that right now, it's not for me. A relationship is something that God doesn't want me to pursue right now. I've taken it that He's just not ready to share me yet. And like I said, I'm ok with that. Just because I'm not somebody's girlfriend/fiance/spouse yet doesn't mean the world is going to end tomorrow. I really am ok. My identity as a Christian/single person/nurse/whatever is not something that needs to be fixed, or is something I have any intention of fixing anytime soon. Yes, we have various identities and labels that have been given to us, most of them given to us by choice. But you know? That doesn't mean that we have to carry them around every single moment of every day. And at the end of the day, in the eyes of the Creator, there's only one identity that matters; His child. Because that's the way He sees you! And me. And it's not a one size fits all approach. I've had people tell me "oh, you're a nurse" with THAT kind of tone? Know what I mean? It's almost condescending in a way. Or when I say I'm not married, it sometimes precedes that "oh...." Again, know what I mean? Ok, so the point to all of this is this; we're all not robots. God didn't make us all the same; He did that for a reason! Our identities are sometimes given to us, but it's up to us and to Him to discover more that we may come across.

Holly: I could be completely wrong, and I apologize if I am. But this is just what I've observed, mostly on Facebook, which...ya know.  I'll get to that a little later.

I think there are a lot of people, primarily our age, who simply have no idea how to function as an individual. Seriously. They always have to have someone, a significant other, jumping from one relationship into the next just so they don't have to be alone. Or the stuff I read on Facebook...it's "my boyfriend/husband this" "my girlfriend/wife that".  What about YOU? What about YOU- as a woman, as someone who makes people laugh, a brother, friend, YOU? You. As a person? YOU, the things that make you you?

As a Christian, our identities should first and foremost be found in Christ. But I think, especially with a lot of married people, it's easy to make their spouse an idol. Or their children. Or, if you're not married, maybe an addiction. Or your boyfriend/girlfriend. You get the idea. I believe that when Christ is at the center, He brings out all of our other "hats" naturally, because everything we do ought to be in glory to Him.

As someone who has, rather recently, become unsingle, I'm trying to remain intentional on preserving my individuality. My boyfriend does not complete me, and I don't want to be with him just because he makes me happy or fills me with the warm fuzzies. We made a conscious decision, basically on Day 1, to do our best to keep God at the center of our relationship, and to continue doing the things that make us us. And you know what? It's not hard. Really. Although he does give really good hugs...:) Ok, I sort of feel like I'm rambling and going all over the place, but the point I'm trying to make is that God made you to be uniquely you! Meaning: You don't need anyone or anything except Him! :)

P.S. I made a comment earlier about Facebook...Yes, I am unsingle. No, it's not "Facebook official", and yes, I'm keeping it mostly off social media, because, quite frankly, it drives me crazy to read status after status of how great someone's person is. It's not because I'm too good for social media, it's because I'm focusing on him, telling him what he means to me and not Facebook. The end. kthanxbai.

Clueless Americans on the half shell

Kelly: I have been back in the states for a little over a week now. I was recently on a mission trip to Peru, and it was incredible! If you want to read more about the trip, please refer to my own separate blog, which you can find the link for in the "where to find us" section on the home page. Ok, that's enough of my shameless plugging. Anyway, since I've been back, I've realized I've harbored a bit of resentment. Resentment towards Americans and our society as a whole. Yesterday, after reading the same junk I read on Facebook day after day, I got sick of it and took a hiatus from it for the rest of the day. In that time, instead of complaining about it, which is what I wanted to do, I prayed and listened to Third Day. And I felt better. The resentment is just geared towards cluelessness in general. We just don't get it. I was at Kroger after a 3 hour work training and a lady was complaining to an employee then to me that a small head of broccoli was being sold by the pound. She then proceeded to tell me, in not so many words, that I was essentially getting ripped off because the particular broccoli I had chosen had "just stems." I said it wasn't a big deal and just walked away. It really wasn't a big deal to me, and I thought to myself I have bigger fish to fry than to worry about $1.39 broccoli.

Sis and I have been rewatching the latest series of Doctor Who, and The Doctor puts it exactly the way I feel; "the human race is never satisfied." Truer words have not been spoken. It seems like someone just has to complain about something. Or post or talk about the same stinking thing day after day on the same subject. It's just downright exhausting if I'm going to be honest. Yesterday I couldn't get those Peruvian people out of my head. They would simply love what we just carelessly complain about. It's challenged me to just be cognizant about my thoughts and ask myself if what I'm thinking or feeling is really worth getting so worked up over. Is broccoli being sold by the pound really worth getting worked up over? Is yet another "terrible two" worth, or spat with your family, or another "I hate my job", worth getting worked up about? In 2 days is it going to matter? Is it going to matter in a couple of hours, or a couple of years down the road? Chances are? Probably not. Hey, this is just for myself as it is for anyone who decides to read this. I'm just saying, I think we can all do a bit better in just being aware of our audiences and what's going on around us. There's enough negativity and drama in the world as it is.

Holly: The title of this post does seem a bit harsh, but it's only because Kelly and I are just as clueless as anyone else.  We have SO MUCH to learn from our brothers and sisters living in poverty, in third world countries, even those living next door to us.

Something I haven't been able to get out of my head is something that was said at church last week: We have absolutely no idea how to have relationships with people anymore, actual face-to-face, personal relationships without devices. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about: the couple at the restaurant or coffee shop, sitting across from each other completely absorbed in their phones. The individuals on social media who constantly post things like "My [spouse/significant other] is the BEST at everything, all the time, he/she is so awesome because he/she does this and this and this..." To the couple at the restaurant or coffee shop, put the phone down and realize what an amazing opportunity you have in front of you: the chance to share life with someone, the chance to spend time with someone you care about.  To the social media posters, I'm sure that your spouse/significant other is the BEST at everything all the time and is so awesome because he/she does this and this and this: Please tell them that, and tell them often.  We don't need to know that.  THEY do.

I actually sat down and wrote two letters last week.  Yes, actual pen-to-paper, catching up on life and sharing life with a friend I haven't seen in a while, and a friend that could be something more.  The people that Kelly interacted with in Peru have nothing, literally, nothing. But what they do have is each other, and that is so much more valuable than complaining on Facebook, or $1.39 broccoli. Kelly has been challenged to be more cognizant of her thoughts, and I'm taking the challenge as well. Because, chances are, we really do have it a lot better than we realize. 

"Please remain calm. This is a kindness!"

Kelly: I'm almost certain we have discussed this topic before, but to me it bears repeating. The main premise for this post is this; be nice to people. REALLY be nice. It can go a long way. Case and point; this afternoon. Holly and I went up to our favorite local coffee hangout to have lunch. It was really busy and it took a while for our food to come to us, but we waited patiently because it's worth it to us. :) Anyway, one of the baristas brought me the wrong sandwich. He realized the mistake after I gently pointed it out, apologized and then brought me the right one. He continued to apologize and I smiled and said it wasn't a problem....which it wasn't. They were busy and always provide wonderful and excellent service. When we got up to the register to pay, another barista said that I would not be charged for my lunch. I said I didn't mind to pay, but nope. Didn't let me pay. You know, it's the little things. Treat people right, don't expect anything in return and it'll come back to you. If you're intentionally being kind to others and expecting something, you're wasting your time.

Case and point; yesterday. Yesterday is typically one of my days off at work, but I'm off today and switched with a co worker. She's working for me today and I did for her yesterday. On Thursday I got asked to come in early and help out on another unit. I said sure. This person I worked with...notoriously has a bad attitude for reasons I'm not sure of, although yesterday wasn't too bad. There was one instance where I was reprimanded for...trying to be nice to a patient. I thought to myself, you know, I volunteered to come in early and help out. At the VERY least, a little bit of niceness and gratitude would have been appreciated. But look right there. I was expecting something. You see, it doesn't always work that way. Whatever happened to doing nice things for other people just to do nice things for other people? It's something I'm trying to work on, and I hope you all will do the same. My purpose on this planet isn't to make myself look and feel good, it's to glorify God in all I do.

Holly: 

Where the title comes from...if you have to ask, you'll never know.  Ok ok, it's a Doctor Who reference, fine! The series 8 premiere is tonight and the anticipation is driving me mad! ANYWAY...

The driving point for all of this, for me, is this: What Kelly said earlier: "Treat people right, don't expect anything in return, and it'll come back to you."  I challenge to take it a step further than that: Treat people right.  Period.  Let's face it, there is way too much negativity in the world.  I've been around the block for a while now and I've come across people who are just consistently in bad moods.  People who just seem to do nothing but bring others down, bring themselves down, bring the world down, just a big fat bunch of downers!  As someone who is the polar opposite of that, it is physically draining being around those types of people.  It really is!  For me, not being a downer is a choice.  Sure, there's plenty of things I could complain about.  There are day-to-day goings on of people around me that could tip me over the edge.  But that's not how it works for me.  Even something just as simple as a smile goes a long way.  I choose to be kind because, to me, no one deserves any less than that.  No one deserves to feel badly about themselves.  No one deserves to feel worthless or neglected.  Now, this doesn't go without saying that I do let my frustrations get the best of me sometimes.  But as God as my witness I will do my best to try not take it out on you, and that is a promise.  If you see otherwise, please let me know.  Please.

As someone who has been on the receiving end of random acts of kindness more instances than I could name, I feel like it's my duty, not just as a Christian but as a decent human being, to procure those same acts as well.  I'm still working on it.  The saying goes "Nice guys finish last."  I couldn't disagree with that more.  I once had a supervisor tell me I was too nice.  I told him thank you.  People aren't going to remember what you said to them or what you did for them; they're going to remember how you made them feel.  Kindness builds others up, plain and simple.  Imagine how the conflicts around the world would differ if those opposing just spoke kindly or acted kindly to one another.  I think it would, quite literally, change the world.  

Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ has also forgiven you. -Ephesians 4:32

The Car Wash Guy

Holly: Today I'm going to share a simple reminder of trying to find the joy in life.  Because, let's face it, we all ride that struggle bus sometimes.

Every day on my way home from work I drive past a fairly busy intersection in Lexington- for those of you who may be familiar, it's Richmond Road/New Circle.  A few days a week, there is a man who stands under the New Circle overpass, and he wears a sign advertising for a nearby car wash.  He is so animated, with the biggest smile on his face, that you just can't help but smile, honk your horn and wave yourself.  Like I said, he's there a few days a week, but not every day.  One particular day I was just struck with this thought: here is a man, who is wearing this big bulky sign, and he stands and waves at traffic for hours and hours and hours, day in and day out.  I've seen him when it's been 90+ outside, I've seen him in the rain, I saw him during the RIDICULOUS cold.  And yet, he's always smiling.  Always.  I can't imagine that would be the most stimulating and glamorous of jobs, but yet there he is, always smiling.

Admittedly, life is not easy.  That's just the reality of it.  But something I've learned over the years being on my own is that we really don't have it as bad off as we think we do.  Sometimes we just get SO bent out of shape over what someone says, what someone does, traffic issues, and for what?  Hey, I struggle with this myself...still.  I truly believe we are called to be spreaders of joy and life, and you just can't do that when you're all bankjbhakljdhfbaw over some silly little thing (Sorry to burst your bubble, but sometimes we just need to get over ourselves, am I right?).  Now that doesn't mean that you have to be happy-go-lucky-ray-of-sunshine-puppies-and-rainbows-24/7-even-when-life-stinks-out-loud.  No.  It's ok to be frustrated.  But sometimes, you just have to put on your big old car wash sign and just SMILE.

Kelly: So much we could learn from this guy. Seriously. Here's a man, literally doing the job nobody else wants to do, but he's doing it without complaining. Perhaps he's complaining on the inside, but that's not what we see. How often do we complain about things in our life? About our jobs? About what's going on in the world? I know I complain, sadly, about my job a lot, mostly about things I have no control over whatsoever. But the thing is, I can change my attitude about the situation. We live in a world full of choices, and if your day sucks and there seems to be no way out, there's a choice of how we can exercise that. If I come home after a long day and the kitchen is a mess, there's shoes and stuff all over the floor and the cats are running around like some of my patients off their meds, I can choose how to react. I can be really pissed off and yell at the cats and leave some sort of passive aggressive note on the counter or text message to Holly for not cleaning up the kitchen, or....I can calmly tell the cats to please stop acting like idiots, clean up the kitchen and the stuff on the floor. Again, full of choices. Or if we have a crappy day, we can either be bitter and fume about it all day or just let it go.

I'm not saying it's not ok to ever be angry, frustrated, wigging out, whatever, because it is. It's going to happen. But we can always choose to not be angry, frustrated or wig out. We can take it how it comes, and like the car wash guy, just smile. Hey, I'm saying all of this just as much for myself as I am for anybody out there who may read this. Something I try to remember when I'm angry or frustrated about something is this; is this a bad day or just a bad moment? Is this situation/person/whatever really going to ruin my entire day? Yes, we will have days where we're sweating and running around like mad with no end in sight, and some days it will be cold and gray. Just remember though that there might be a guy in Lexington with his car wash sign, standing there with a big smile on his face. Yeah, he's there because he has to be, but nobody asks him to smile and be friendly I'm sure; I'm sure he just DOES that. If he can smile through any weather, so can we. So can I.

We're saaaaaaailing....to yard sales!!!

Kelly: In the past week, Holly and I have been to at least a dozen yard sales! Our quest: porch furniture! We have had no luck thus far, but we've managed to snag some pretty good deals along our journey. It was my idea to go yard saling this morning, so we packed up around 10:45 this morning and got home about 20 minutes ago (it's 5 after 3 according to my computer clock). Plus we were bored and needed something to do; our trip also involved a sudden need to venture to the laundromat for some last-minute laundry doing. (If anyone would like to help us hook up our VERY HEAVY washer that is currently sitting in our garage so we don't have to keep shelling out copious amounts of quarters...not that we mind...but yeah, please let Holly or myself know). I don't want to waste any more space, so here's some pics of some of the deals we found!

Holly: 

A lovely GE hand/stand mixer.  Needs new beaters, but I'm sure we can find some.  Isn't it awesome? Can't wait to bake yummy goodies with it! :D

ALL of the Narnia novels in one book! 

Two skirts (left and middle) and a dress.  The skirt Yoda is sitting on is from Gap! 

Do any of you yard-sale? If you've found any smashing deals, let us know! :D

Home

Holly: Throughout my life my perceptions of things have changed.  Chalk it up to growing up, I suppose.  One of these things that have changed is my concept of home.  What is "home"?  What does it mean to be "home"?  Is it a place, people, or something even more than that?

As many of you know, Kelly and I moved to Berea in May of this year.  We spent a lot of our time here, college-related time, and we felt like Berea was the place we were supposed to be.  Considering the large amount of our time here Berea felt more like our home than our grassroots of southeastern Ohio.  Now, PLEASE do not misunderstand me.  I love my hometown.  I love that I was able to grow up there, and I love my family and best friend more than anything.  But when I would go home for holidays or breaks or whatnot, things just felt so....foreign.  Different.  I felt out of place, like I had missed so much from Athens and from my folks and best friend.  It just wasn't the same place anymore.  I wasn't the same person.  Because I had grown so used to cozy Berea, my school, and my church, it was strange to be away from that, even though I had spent the first 18 years of my life in this place.  Now, when I say I'm going home, it means I'm going to my 2-bedroom apartment in Berea.

But home for me is a lot more than just a place.  When my parents come to visit, that's home.  When I talk to my best friend on the phone, that's home.  When my cats come downstairs when I come in the door from work, that's home.  Home is watching an episode of Sherlock in the living room with Kelly and exclaiming in excitement how I picked something up that I had never noticed before.  Home is a cup of the flavor of the day at BC&T.  Home is opening your window and sensing that fall "smell" and feeling the breeze blow into your space.  Home is singing as loud as you can to that song on the radio when you're stuck at a red light.  Home is hugging that one friend you haven't seen in ages.

Take time to notice the "home" in your life, whether it's a place or not.

Kelly: On our daily walk tonight, I was talking to Holly that a lot of college students move back to where they came from after they graduate. Our brother did this. I have lots of friends who did this/are doing this. I was talking to Holly that this didn't even cross my mind after I graduated. Then she said to me: "I already moved back home. I moved here." Didn't really think about it that way. I remember being a first year student wondering how I would get used to this place called Berea, Kentucky. Now I can't imagine being apart from it. To be honest though, my perspective on home is a bit different than Holly's. Sometimes I sit and ask God how He picked here for me to be. How did He get me to fall in love with a place like Berea? Then it hit me.

To me, home in many cases is more the people than a place or a thing. I think people largely make a home a home. And for me, my Berea home and my attraction to it is largely where I go to church every Sunday. I see it as a home despite the division and sometimes negativity that has been seen/heard/read in a survey. Despite the fact that I read a comment that basically said college students can either just deal with the changes or shove off, it's still a home to me. Because in a home, you notice there are flaws, yet you don't define it by the few flaws. Positive memories and faces trump any negative comment in my book. When I think of a home, I think of family. A family. People who love one another, encourage one another, support one another and pray for one another. They don't hold grudges, or judge, belittle, or put down...not that anybody in my immediately family or my close friends do that. But families don't do that, or at least they shouldn't. That's why I love my church; it treats me like a family. Every Sunday (and Tuesday night) I am welcomed with open arms and loved by so many.

I'll close with this: on the way out of church today I got a comment from my pastor today saying how much he appreciated how Holly and I have openly loved his family. I was stricken mute by my overwhelming joy that I totally forgot to say I only give such love because I myself have been given the exact same love by not only his family but so many others at BBC. I am blessed to have that church as my family. And my home.

If we had a dollar....

Holly and Kelly: So, just in case any of you live under a rock, we are twins.  Duh.  Blatantly obvious.  But over the years, during our numerous encounters with various people and situations, we have been asked a plethora of ridiculous, humorous, silly, stupid, and just flat out "what the heck" questions.  Here are some of them (by the way, the parentheses after the questions are our mental responses, i.e. we would never say them aloud):

"Are y'all TWINS???"  *short pause while we process, then say yes*  "Are y'all related?"
(um...if we just said we're twins, then...we're....probably........related.....MMM, we'll give you a minute to think about it...)

"Are y'all sisters?"
"Do y'all ever fight?" (No, it's just puppies and rainbows all OF COURSE WE DO.  We're so freakishly alike it's scary; of course our opinions will clash.)

"Do you have the same birthday?" (Not even joking.  Although there are twins that don't..i.e. one born at 11:59 and one at like 12:01, etc...but no.  We do not)

"Do you all like the same stuff?" (For the most part, yes...but we do have different tastes.  For some reason that question just irritates us.  Sorry)

"So if I poke your sister in the arm, will you feel it?"  (No.  Next question)

"Does that whole sister ESP thing work? Like, do you know what she's thinking, or feeling?" (Again...no.)

"Have ya'll ever switched places before?" (What are we, cruel? People have a hard enough time telling us apart sometimes. I'd rather not add to the torture)

"Are ya'll the same?" (Same DNA. COMPLETELY different people. Though we are both extroverts, Kelly tends to be more extroverted and expressive with emotions. Holly is more reserved. Not a bad thing. NEXT).

"Do you all ever run out of things to talk about?" (This is actually a good question. And no we don't.)

"Do ya'll share clothes?" (Hmm....again, let me give you all a minute. You have an instant double wardrobe. OF COURSE we share clothes!)

"Do you like being a twin?" (Gee....)

"I think I would hate being a twin." (You would be quite surprised. It's like any relationship; both parties have to work at it and be willing to make the commitments necessary to keep it steady and strong)

And the best one for last...

"How can I tell you apart from your sister?" No parentheses for this. This is what I say. Holly ALWAYS wears her hair up and I don't. That's the easiest way for someone who is at first getting to know us to tell us apart. When you get to know us a little bit more, our family and friends have different ways of telling us apart. To close, we both LOVE being a twin and wouldn't have it any other way! :]

The flaw of today's healthcare in the eyes of a US citizen

Kelly: I will begin by offering this disclaimer; these are merely my observations and opinions. I am not putting myself on a pedestal and deeming myself an "expert." But, I feel that what I have seen and heard cannot be unnoticed. I just saw and heard some very heavy duty stuff, and this is my opportunity to process it all. I borrowed a video from one of my professors titled Sicko. I wasn't really sure what to expect. The first half hour (this is a documentary) discussed several US commonfolk who faced current health problems but because of lack of health insurance or flawed insurance were denied medical coverage. The first two examples were no health insurance, and a guy literally HAD TO CHOOSE which of his fingers to reattach. One would cost over 50k, the other just a little over 10k. Which do you think he chose?

There was more to the video, but two parts of this movie disgusted me the most. The first scenario took place in LA, and there was a guy who worked at some sort of free clinic. He was talking about how one day he was watching the cameras and a staff member escorted a confused and disorientated woman inside...while she was still in her hospital garb. Turns out, the staff of the hospital she came from found out she couldn't pay her bills, so they put her in a cab and drove her to the free clinic.

I'm sorry, but....WHAT?!

Oh no, it gets worse. Turns out when the hospital gets wind that patients can't pay their bills, they dump them. Yes, as in put them in a taxi and drop them off.

I'm sorry, but....WHAT?!

Another scenario focused on several 9/11 volunteers who helped victims get found amongst the rubble. I will say this again, these were volunteers...as in...NOT employees. However, because they were not properly protected because they were just you know, trying to do the right thing, they developed some health complications. But because their care was "too expensive" according to their insurance, they could not get the full care that they  needed. Cut to....Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. This is where some of the 9/11 terrorists ended up as prisoners. They receive...and I quote straight from the film "top of the line healthcare." Yes, along with France and England and other European countries covered by the NHS (National Health Service), and Canada, they receive FREE HEALTH CARE.

Now I know what you're thinking: You mean to say that TERRORISTS who were responsible for 2,000+ lives over 10 years ago receive BETTER healthcare than average US Citizens?

Yes.

So later, the movie director gets a BOAT, takes these volunteers and boats them from Miami to Guantanamo Bay so they can get some good healthcare. But...according to the media, Cuba is one of our enemies. Or so you thought...the 9/11 volunteers are not only NOT turned away, but they also receive the diagnostic tests, cheaper prescriptions and procedures that some of them needed.

At this point in the movie I was crying. I really was. Not only because the volunteers got the healthcare that they truly deserved, but that they had to go to a "enemy" country to receive it. And they got exactly what they deserved, by golly! It's just appalling that this flawed healthcare is what our country, my country I live in, has come to. Refusing to pay for care, dumping helpless patients, denying people health insurance is just...sick. I can't come up with any other word.

What upsets me the most are two things: number 1, I will be working in this. I can't escape it, unless give up everything I love and have worked hard to build and move to another country. I'd make a heck of a living, but the trade off is higher tax dollars. Hmm...yeah, I'd pay higher tax dollars for free health care. Sign me up. Second, I too am fighting tooth and nail with insurance. Apparently, the rest of my physical therapy that I completed almost a year ago won't be covered until I go to the Billing Department and fill out this form that NOBODY bothered to tell me about. My mom had to call my insurance company.

I apologize that this post is so long, but I feel that we need to read this. And even if you're not a health care professional, PLEASE see this movie in some point during your life. It will change your life, maybe for the better, maybe for the worse. But if nothing, your eyes will be opened wide, as mine are. All I have to close with is this; we can do better.

To close, I would like to give the credit to the movie Sicko and all of the directors, participants and producers. Thank you for opening my eyes. Our country as a whole may not be "the best," but as a future healthcare provider I will do MY best to be THE best.