Fixing the world
My dad works at Wal-mart. He's a pretty lucky guy since he barely speaks English and has a job at Wal-mart. It's a lot better than most of the Chinese in the area where I grew up who work in restaurants all day long (12 hours or so). They work in front of hot gas stoves, they lift heavy things, they cook all day in ungodly Florida heat. My dad's been there. Now he works at Wal-mart where he does his 40 hours a week. He does some heavy lifting but he comes home on time and is in much better health.
So I'm trying to deal with his health insurance cause he hasn't been to a doctor in a few years. This system is completely ridiculous. They don't cover ANY routine examinations for men, not even a physical. There's a ridiculously high deductible that my barely above minimum wage dad will just barely afford. Then after the deductible is met we still have to pay the majority of his routine services.
I'm sitting on my phone with my dad telling him he's 60 years old and really needs some standard tests done and he's says'no no no, that's too much money.' I explain to him it's better to catch problems earlier than later. He'll spend less money in the long run and be healthier in the end. He agrees amicably and gets off the phone. I have a strange feeling he's not going to go out and do it.
The American ideal is that your parents should take care of themselves and children need to go out and live their own lives. It's very individualistic. I had to think about these issues for a really, really long time. I want to become a doctor, I want go work abroad, I want to do all these things in my life. I don't want to leave my parents behind. I'm trying to find compromises everyday between following my dreams and ideals, and keeping their welfare in mind. It's part of the reason why I'm moving closer to them. I haven't just barely the slightest clue what comes next in this game.
There's no easy answer to these issues. The politics, and the personal are both just growing ever more complicated. Which politician can promise change that will fix these issues for me? I support one, but I don't truly believe in either of them.
So I'm trying to deal with his health insurance cause he hasn't been to a doctor in a few years. This system is completely ridiculous. They don't cover ANY routine examinations for men, not even a physical. There's a ridiculously high deductible that my barely above minimum wage dad will just barely afford. Then after the deductible is met we still have to pay the majority of his routine services.
I'm sitting on my phone with my dad telling him he's 60 years old and really needs some standard tests done and he's says'no no no, that's too much money.' I explain to him it's better to catch problems earlier than later. He'll spend less money in the long run and be healthier in the end. He agrees amicably and gets off the phone. I have a strange feeling he's not going to go out and do it.
The American ideal is that your parents should take care of themselves and children need to go out and live their own lives. It's very individualistic. I had to think about these issues for a really, really long time. I want to become a doctor, I want go work abroad, I want to do all these things in my life. I don't want to leave my parents behind. I'm trying to find compromises everyday between following my dreams and ideals, and keeping their welfare in mind. It's part of the reason why I'm moving closer to them. I haven't just barely the slightest clue what comes next in this game.
There's no easy answer to these issues. The politics, and the personal are both just growing ever more complicated. Which politician can promise change that will fix these issues for me? I support one, but I don't truly believe in either of them.