The Sound and the Fury

Had a doozie of an evening at the shop last night...

Every 2nd Wednesday during the summer -- from 5pm til 8pm -- the galleries in The Old Market take part in a gallery crawl that's sponsored by a local paper. I don't look forward to the event, mainly because the majority of the people who come out for it care very little about looking at art -- and lots more about getting free food and qualifying for a raffle at the end of the night if you hit a certain number of galleries.

Last night at about 5:05 -- the toilets in the restaurant above my shop must have imploded, because a shit ton (pun very much so intended) of water starting pouring down onto my desk and everything around it.

I got the situation (sort of) under control (looked insane -- there were garbage cans, buckets and vases everywhere) -- but it took them two hours to make the water stop flooding my space. There wasn't any serious damage, but my shop reeks and I think the carpet around my desk is going to be wet for days.

It was a super slow night (it's been super slow for weeks, but that's a whole other post...) and at about 7pm, I decided to listen to Obama's health care speech. Several people who'd come into the shop hunkered around my desk to listen, others just went on about their business, ate some grapes, looked at Wanda's work in the gallery. No biggie.....

.... til this woman came in at 7:20 and pitched a FULL BLOWN temper tantrum in my shop because I refused to turn the speech off.

She comes in and stops about 6' from my desk....

-- "Is that Obama?! Are you listening to Obama?!?"
-- "Yes, it's his speech on health care re..."
-- "Turn it off."
--"............................................. um, excuse me?"
-- "I said Turn. It. OFF!!!! I refuse to listen to that, I don't have to listen to it! This is a public place and you have to TURN IT OFF!"

I honestly sat there, stunned -- for a full minute.

-- "Ma'am, it's just a speech about health care reform...."
-- "And he is JUST A MAN!!!"
-- "............................um...... what?"
-- "He's just a man!!! I don't want to listen to him!!! I told you to turn it off!! You are alienating 1/2 of the people in here [sidenote: there were about 15 people in the gallery at this point, 6 of whom were watching the speech with me] You are offending 1/2 of your customers!! Who owns this place... where's your boss?"
-- "It's my gallery........."
-- [Looks me up and down] "Oh -- that figures. Listen I will not shop here as long as you're playing that. I REFUSE to buy anything as long as I CAN HEAR HIS VOICE!"
-- "Well then, ma'am, I suggest that you leave, because I'm not turning it off.

She storms off into the neighboring shop -- all the while ranting about how offensive the whole thing is... how she should not have to listen to the "that man" speak in a public place (???). I hear her in the shop next door yelling... "I can STILL hear him! I will not shop here either if I have to listen to that -- that woman next door is costing you business!!!"

The whole thing left me shaking mad. The entire debate over health care reform has left me so angry, sad, confused -- and quite honestly, ashamed of this country's behavior. I have watched coverage of the town halls, I have listened to all of the arguments against the bill ------ and it's all just left me fucking furious.

As a small business owner who recently had to decide between keeping my car and keeping my ridiculously expensive health insurance (the insurance won) -- it's infuriates me that people are behaving so childishly over an issue that is so insanely important.

I'll be the first to admit that when I worked for Time Inc. -- I never thought twice about health insurance. I just had it -- it was just there. I didn't even notice the money it took to pay for it missing from my checks. Once I got laid off, and witnessed the crazy ass joke that is COBRA -- having insurance, or not having it -- was all I could think about. I went without it for a year... then reality hit (I'm on the fast track to 40, would possibly like to have a child... and hello -- seeing the GYN once a year goes a long way towards lessening ones hypochondria) so I got my own coverage.

I've been paying for health insurance for just over a year now --- and it's anything but perfect. Getting approved was craziness (I was almost denied due to high cholesterol), and then every time I went to the doctor for the first six months (my "probationary period") -- I'd get this confusing letter about what they'd cover, which -- after my second visit was followed by a letter telling me that I had seen the doctor too often, and that they'd be formally reviewing my medical records. Because I made two office visits (which still cost me $50 a pop) in six months.

My rates have gone up three times in one year. I don't have dental. Or coverage for eye exams. And if something should happen to me, I would still have to pay thousands in deductibles.

When I asked about maternity coverage, I was told that I had to contact them when I was planning to get pregnant, and then switch to a more expensive coverage plan. If I got pregnant and then told them ---- I would not be able to get maternity coverage. Best yet, my pregnancy would only be covered if I managed to conceive and deliver my baby within one calendar year. Need more than three months to conceive? Better luck next year!

And I'm fortunate to have what I have.

The majority of people I know, don't have insurance. They never go to the doctor. When things hurt them -- they wait it out, fingers crossed, hoping they'll feel better in a couple of days.

The whole thing just breaks my heart into a billion pieces. And now ---- we have a President determined to make it better and the entire country erupts into chaos! People scream and break into fist fights, parents and schools refuse to let him speak to their children (I'm still fuming over that one), they call him a nazi -- a nazi (!!!) and full grown women put their fingers in their ears and throw tantrums at the very sound of his voice....

... and then Joe Wilson calls him a liar.... On. The. House. Floor.

What the fuck is going on here? Can someone fill me in, because I'm at a complete loss... the world is watching us, and our politicians have been reduced to whining, finger pointing bullies who use name calling to get their points across.

All of this over an attempt to secure the right of every one to be able to have access to medical care if they need it. Something that's a basic RIGHT to the majority of the world's people.

Really?

I've been thinking about that woman all day today... about the fact that there are millions more like her out there -- refusing to even hear the other side, just pissed off because someone told them they should be. I've been trying not to curse her, to wish all sort of bad, bad, horrible bad things on her and the people she loves - things that eat you up on the inside, things that she might not be able to afford fixing..... instead, I'm just hoping that she wakes up before it's too late....

... and is just willing to -- at the very least -- listen.