I'm going to admit right out that I haven't read HR 3200--not that I think many of you have, because the thing is friggin' 1018 pages long, and written in legalese. So, I don't want to get into a debate about something that neither of us knows about. I don't want to talk about the health care bill itself, but only about my observations of the noise surrounding this infamous bill.
My position is that we, as human beings, are very resistant to change.
Recently at the nursing home where I work, there was a seemingly small change: they put tablecloths on the tables in the dining room, and took away the bibs that the residents used during meal time. This small thing caused somewhat of an upheaval for the residents. "Where are the bibs?!," they would ask. One gentleman even fashioned a makeshift bib from some office paper clips and a piece of ribbon fastened to either end of his napkin. Another threw his napkin (which was to be used in lieu of the bib) on the floor in a fit of rage.
At the same time as the Bib Fiasco, the plastic cups were replaced with porcelain mugs. This, too, caused a stir. For whatever reason, many of the residents were adamant about having these certain green cups, and complained about it to anyone who would listen. Now, however, not two weeks later, the turmoil has subsided, and life continues as usual. Crisis abated.
It is something that shocks me every time Facebook reveals a new update. People complain, they say this is worse than it's ever been, they threaten that if Facebook doesn't change back to the way it was, that they will leave. This goes on for a few months (apparently, the seniors are more easily adaptable than us), and then it wears off, and all is forgotten.
I don't know what our fascination is with maintaining the status quo, nor do I know why it is so difficult for us to simply adapt.
"Change is good," so the saying goes.
are our senior citizens more adaptable because they're starting to lose their memory and figure that they'd always had green mugs and tablecloths?
ReplyDeleteI confess I also don't know what to think about HR 3200, and I will never read it. As Stephen Colbert put it - "it's over 1000 pages long! That's almost as long as a Harry Potter novel!"
ReplyDeleteThe question I have after hearing all the controversy is how much will it really change? I can see it being more of sideways move where the only thing that changes is who gets all the $$$.