The other night a man had a dream.
In his dream, he walked down a street where houses were just a little too close together and just a little too close to the street. Trees overarched the road and cast dappled shadows on the narrow road. People had porches that they sat on rocking chairs and called to their neighbors, while kids sat on the steps and enjoyed a popsicle. There were kids running around and yelling and playing kick the can or tag or hide-and-seek. Further down the road there was a couch being delivered by a large truck. Everyone in the family was out to welcome the new furniture. The old couch was being taken away for refurbishing and would be sent on to the next family who needed it. Grandma and Grandpa came out of their room to watch the fun, also, giving a kind of graceful benediction to the activity. It was really a great day.
Then the scene changed, as things do in dreams. He was walking through a carefully manicured urban park. He passed through the lovely arboretum and walked into a downtown urban street. The lower floors were filled with shops and offices and cafés. They spilled out onto the streets, colorful wares being peddled to people as they walked by. Even though this was the morning, people were plentiful. They stopped and talked with neighbors as they filled baskets they had brought from home. The grocers would wink at the small children and give them a free apple. In fact, on further inspection, the man could note no price tags anywhere. Nothing was for sale! People just filled their baskets and went home. Everyone took only what they needed, secure in the knowledge that if they did need more they could always come back and get it.
The scene changed again, and now he found himself in a real estate office. He watched a transaction take place, but it was unlike anything he had ever seen. The real estate agent did not ask about income or potential or markets. She was kind and asked about families and space needs and personal desires and expectations. She was interested in the people not as clients but as future neighbors.
Again, the scene shifted. He was at a car dealer, who also asked about families and growth and needs and desires. Other scene changes showed him in turns clothes shops and outdoor goods and hardware stores and… It was surreal: all of the goods and services he had grown accustomed to were available for no charge.
He visited a factory floor. People were happy – they were creating things for people, not for profit or for a bonus. They put care and craft in each piece they turned out because they knew that their efforts were being well-received and that they were blessing the lives of families all over the country. They were not worried about what they were going to eat or how they were going to make a house payment. They were happy to have work that was blessing so many.
He visited a hospital. There was the room filled with the usual bumps and scrapes and runny noses. But the nurses were caring for the people, not for the insurance cards. There were no insurance cards. In fact, there was no transaction at all, except quality health care given and received. The first concern was not regarding ability to pay, but the comfort and care given to the people in the hospital. Parents were not fearful that their children would get sick. And doctors and nurses and health care providers gave assistance because they loved the people they helped, viewing them as brothers and sisters, rather than as patients or clients.
There were people working in all kinds of vocations: plumbers, lawyers, electricians, doctors, laborers, factory managers, beauticians, car mechanics, etc. They all worked for free – what would they do with money anyway? Everything they needed was free…
He noted that crime was down. Why steal something when you can have all you want? What’s the point of having more than others if they don’t care how much you have? After all, everyone has sufficient for their needs, wants, and desires… And there was an overall feeling of contentment and freedom and peace that pervaded everything.
There was no real private ownership – what’s the point of owning anything anyway? You can’t take it with you when you go into your grave… He noted that everyone treated the things they had responsibility for as a stewardship, as a blessing, rather than as personal possessions.
All in all, it was an amazing dream.
Then he woke up.
He got into his car and pulled out of his driveway and looked at his neighborhood. He had never met his neighbors, despite having lived in the same place for five years. Their houses were very far apart and all of them looked very much the same, except some had appurtenances which made them look more expensive, and some were bigger than others. He never saw kids playing on the street – they’d be run over as cars dashed down the wide lane. Since the subdivision was relatively new, the vegetation had not grown up yet. He knew, though, that even if it did grow people would complain about broken limbs and maintenance and leaf-raking…
He thought back to what his real estate agent had told him at the time, listing all of the positive economic benefits of this “investment.” New neighborhood! New appliances! New car! New life!
More debt, longer commute, longer hours, less time at home, alienated families, degraded quality of life, health issues, implosion of society.
His car got a flat tire about 30 minutes into his commute. Some jerk had lost a load of rebar off the back of his truck, and a piece had stranded him in the middle lane. He tried to ignore then angry looks from drivers as they went by. Like this was his fault. He got on his cell phone to call for a tow truck, but he was out of minutes. The lady who answered his call was the cell phone representative who asked for a credit card to pay his late bill. She had had this conversation at least 200 times that day, and he was just another dead-beat who was trying to milk the system. No, no! he exclaimed. I have a real emergency. Sure, she thought. Just give me a card number and I will put you right through. He tried one card. Sorry, maxed out. Another. Same story. Third time was the charm and he finally got through to a tow truck.
He arrived late at work. His boss glared at him as he took his place in his cubicle. Immediately his phone rang. His wife was calling from her work. One of their kids was sick – could he pick the child up and bring her to the hospital?
Great! he thought. On top of everything else he now had to worry about doctor bills which would surely be covered 100% by the insurance company. He knew how it worked – he worked in insurance. Hospitals and doctors inflate their charges to insurance companies, who mark them down to what is known as “standard and usual” costs for treatment. In the end, it paid the same. But the game is what fueled his job, so he really couldn’t complain too much, could he?
How could he tell his boss he needed to go?
He noticed a light blinking on his phone and decided to listen to a message or two so that it made it look like he was working at least some before he asked to leave. The first message was from his mortgage company. He was more than two months late. He sighed. The deal that their agent had offered seemed so good at the time, and the house was so nice and the market potential was enormous… Now the market had tanked and his payment had skyrocketed – he didn’t understand these things: he was in insurance, for crying out loud! He had trusted his agent to set them up correctly with the best deal possible. Apparently the agent had. Funny thing, though. He didn’t see much of that agent anymore…
He decided to skip talking to the boss and just head out. Probably not the best option, but he was too depressed anyway.
He picked up his daughter at school and took her to the hospital. He was asked immediately for his insurance card. He had left it in his other wallet. That’s fine, the emergency room receptionist said. We can take a credit card now and you can send the bill on to your insurance company later. He handed over the third card – the one that had some money left – and it was denied. He didn’t know what to do. His daughter was sick and there was no way for him to pay. The receptionist gave him one of those “oh, your one of THOSE cases” looks and pushed a slew of papers at him. Free healthcare? No, he didn’t need free healthcare! He had insurance! But no proof… Filling out the forms took the better part of 30 minutes. The receptionist took it from him and asked him to wait.
His daughter had started to sweat. She was obviously in a lot of pain and she was getting what looked like a rash… She was not looking good at all.
30 minutes went by. Then an hour. Then two hours. Other people had come and gone with seemingly lighter symptoms than his daughter. No one had even examined her yet.
Finally a harried looking nurse walked through holding a coffee cup. He grabbed the nurse and asked her if she could look at his daughter. She took one look at her and her expression changed. Why wasn’t she in earlier?!? the nurse demanded. We were told to wait while our paperwork was being processed!
They rushed her into the emergency room and started and IV. That’s when his daughter passed out. They started her on all kinds of antibiotics. But it was too late. His daughter had contracted bacterial meningitis and had not survived. If they had been given immediate attention…
In his dream, he walked down a street where houses were just a little too close together and just a little too close to the street. Trees overarched the road and cast dappled shadows on the narrow road. People had porches that they sat on rocking chairs and called to their neighbors, while kids sat on the steps and enjoyed a popsicle. There were kids running around and yelling and playing kick the can or tag or hide-and-seek. Further down the road there was a couch being delivered by a large truck. Everyone in the family was out to welcome the new furniture. The old couch was being taken away for refurbishing and would be sent on to the next family who needed it. Grandma and Grandpa came out of their room to watch the fun, also, giving a kind of graceful benediction to the activity. It was really a great day.
Then the scene changed, as things do in dreams. He was walking through a carefully manicured urban park. He passed through the lovely arboretum and walked into a downtown urban street. The lower floors were filled with shops and offices and cafés. They spilled out onto the streets, colorful wares being peddled to people as they walked by. Even though this was the morning, people were plentiful. They stopped and talked with neighbors as they filled baskets they had brought from home. The grocers would wink at the small children and give them a free apple. In fact, on further inspection, the man could note no price tags anywhere. Nothing was for sale! People just filled their baskets and went home. Everyone took only what they needed, secure in the knowledge that if they did need more they could always come back and get it.
The scene changed again, and now he found himself in a real estate office. He watched a transaction take place, but it was unlike anything he had ever seen. The real estate agent did not ask about income or potential or markets. She was kind and asked about families and space needs and personal desires and expectations. She was interested in the people not as clients but as future neighbors.
Again, the scene shifted. He was at a car dealer, who also asked about families and growth and needs and desires. Other scene changes showed him in turns clothes shops and outdoor goods and hardware stores and… It was surreal: all of the goods and services he had grown accustomed to were available for no charge.
He visited a factory floor. People were happy – they were creating things for people, not for profit or for a bonus. They put care and craft in each piece they turned out because they knew that their efforts were being well-received and that they were blessing the lives of families all over the country. They were not worried about what they were going to eat or how they were going to make a house payment. They were happy to have work that was blessing so many.
He visited a hospital. There was the room filled with the usual bumps and scrapes and runny noses. But the nurses were caring for the people, not for the insurance cards. There were no insurance cards. In fact, there was no transaction at all, except quality health care given and received. The first concern was not regarding ability to pay, but the comfort and care given to the people in the hospital. Parents were not fearful that their children would get sick. And doctors and nurses and health care providers gave assistance because they loved the people they helped, viewing them as brothers and sisters, rather than as patients or clients.
There were people working in all kinds of vocations: plumbers, lawyers, electricians, doctors, laborers, factory managers, beauticians, car mechanics, etc. They all worked for free – what would they do with money anyway? Everything they needed was free…
He noted that crime was down. Why steal something when you can have all you want? What’s the point of having more than others if they don’t care how much you have? After all, everyone has sufficient for their needs, wants, and desires… And there was an overall feeling of contentment and freedom and peace that pervaded everything.
There was no real private ownership – what’s the point of owning anything anyway? You can’t take it with you when you go into your grave… He noted that everyone treated the things they had responsibility for as a stewardship, as a blessing, rather than as personal possessions.
All in all, it was an amazing dream.
Then he woke up.
He got into his car and pulled out of his driveway and looked at his neighborhood. He had never met his neighbors, despite having lived in the same place for five years. Their houses were very far apart and all of them looked very much the same, except some had appurtenances which made them look more expensive, and some were bigger than others. He never saw kids playing on the street – they’d be run over as cars dashed down the wide lane. Since the subdivision was relatively new, the vegetation had not grown up yet. He knew, though, that even if it did grow people would complain about broken limbs and maintenance and leaf-raking…
He thought back to what his real estate agent had told him at the time, listing all of the positive economic benefits of this “investment.” New neighborhood! New appliances! New car! New life!
More debt, longer commute, longer hours, less time at home, alienated families, degraded quality of life, health issues, implosion of society.
His car got a flat tire about 30 minutes into his commute. Some jerk had lost a load of rebar off the back of his truck, and a piece had stranded him in the middle lane. He tried to ignore then angry looks from drivers as they went by. Like this was his fault. He got on his cell phone to call for a tow truck, but he was out of minutes. The lady who answered his call was the cell phone representative who asked for a credit card to pay his late bill. She had had this conversation at least 200 times that day, and he was just another dead-beat who was trying to milk the system. No, no! he exclaimed. I have a real emergency. Sure, she thought. Just give me a card number and I will put you right through. He tried one card. Sorry, maxed out. Another. Same story. Third time was the charm and he finally got through to a tow truck.
He arrived late at work. His boss glared at him as he took his place in his cubicle. Immediately his phone rang. His wife was calling from her work. One of their kids was sick – could he pick the child up and bring her to the hospital?
Great! he thought. On top of everything else he now had to worry about doctor bills which would surely be covered 100% by the insurance company. He knew how it worked – he worked in insurance. Hospitals and doctors inflate their charges to insurance companies, who mark them down to what is known as “standard and usual” costs for treatment. In the end, it paid the same. But the game is what fueled his job, so he really couldn’t complain too much, could he?
How could he tell his boss he needed to go?
He noticed a light blinking on his phone and decided to listen to a message or two so that it made it look like he was working at least some before he asked to leave. The first message was from his mortgage company. He was more than two months late. He sighed. The deal that their agent had offered seemed so good at the time, and the house was so nice and the market potential was enormous… Now the market had tanked and his payment had skyrocketed – he didn’t understand these things: he was in insurance, for crying out loud! He had trusted his agent to set them up correctly with the best deal possible. Apparently the agent had. Funny thing, though. He didn’t see much of that agent anymore…
He decided to skip talking to the boss and just head out. Probably not the best option, but he was too depressed anyway.
He picked up his daughter at school and took her to the hospital. He was asked immediately for his insurance card. He had left it in his other wallet. That’s fine, the emergency room receptionist said. We can take a credit card now and you can send the bill on to your insurance company later. He handed over the third card – the one that had some money left – and it was denied. He didn’t know what to do. His daughter was sick and there was no way for him to pay. The receptionist gave him one of those “oh, your one of THOSE cases” looks and pushed a slew of papers at him. Free healthcare? No, he didn’t need free healthcare! He had insurance! But no proof… Filling out the forms took the better part of 30 minutes. The receptionist took it from him and asked him to wait.
His daughter had started to sweat. She was obviously in a lot of pain and she was getting what looked like a rash… She was not looking good at all.
30 minutes went by. Then an hour. Then two hours. Other people had come and gone with seemingly lighter symptoms than his daughter. No one had even examined her yet.
Finally a harried looking nurse walked through holding a coffee cup. He grabbed the nurse and asked her if she could look at his daughter. She took one look at her and her expression changed. Why wasn’t she in earlier?!? the nurse demanded. We were told to wait while our paperwork was being processed!
They rushed her into the emergency room and started and IV. That’s when his daughter passed out. They started her on all kinds of antibiotics. But it was too late. His daughter had contracted bacterial meningitis and had not survived. If they had been given immediate attention…
Comments
How are things?
Hope it doesn't happen at my hospital.
I like the juxtaposition of these ideas and the contrasts that this kind of writing demonstrates: taking someone from an idyllic, dream-like positive to a harsh, cold reality. Which serves to make these things more memorable and interesting...
I also like the word "juxtaposition"... ;-)
I'm totally for the dream, as you describe it. Universal everything, aka the Law of Consecration. I especially love the idea when it comes to health care. I despise the notion that people suffer and die because they are not wealthy enough or of high enough social estate to qualify for quality health care. It makes me lose sleep, literally.
It is a conundrum. I like that word. ;)
or is it viri?
If you don't start thinking more positive you are going to have a heart attack, and that is NOT good because we all know health care sucks LMBO
Seriously dude, love you, but LIGHTEN UP! :D *Smooch*
I have a friend who's mother still lives in Norway and has cancer. That woman couldn't get in for help for months after she found out she had cancer and test results took months to get back.
I'd rather keep struggling to afford my crappy Humana insurance and wait for paperwork for 2 hours, the to live in Norway with Universal Medicine.
There's GOT to be something else.
Yes, there's a lot of inequity and injustice in the world. And perhaps I cannot make much of a difference. But if I don't try, how will I ever know? If I don't throw the one starfish into the sea, how will I ever make any difference to that one? And what does it say about me if I don't even try?
Interesting, considering what you're talking about. I think it merits the effort, even if I don't always agree with your ideology.
All my love.
This is a constant waking fantasy of mine. I know it can be done, and I have faith that once people realize how easy and personally rewarding life can be beyond the epidemic of "consumption, greed, and keeping up" they'll embrace the idea that when one's needs are met, the only thing left to do is *whatever one LOVES doing*.
I also think the unfortunate majority who seem to prefer watching Cops, Maury Povich and the Kardashians stand a chance too.
Critical Mass - that's all I'm sayin...
So -- I just spend every one of MY days checked OUT of the old paradigm (no TV, spend less than $60/week to support my family of 5, lots of playtime with my kids, and a recognition that NEED is very, very different than WANT.
When enough of us are doing that, well, that's just gonna be how it *is*.
And that will be cool.
You and I are in complete agreement. I'm so glad you found what I wrote and that it resonated even somewhat with you... It is truly gratifying...
I originally wrote this around the time that the whole health care thing was at its peak and everyone was talking about it. My wife is in health care, and I've seen first hand how people benefit from being able to receive services from someone who is not motivated by money, but by love. She's an amazing person, and I'm grateful to be associated with her in any way...
So the dream lives. It seems like we're not alone in this dream. John Lennon even wrote our theme song... It doesn't get much better than that.
Let's keep dreaming, shall we?