A close friend is going through a medically challenging time and now worries that she will soon be unable to afford health coverage. Things are never so real as when they touch us, or someone close to us. While she does her bit to fight for Obamacare, I told her to balance that out with.....,reading. She's one of those outdoorsy types, more comfortable with a bike than a book, but I pressed. I explained that books exist for many reasons and I reminded her of our old friend Aristotle and his take on Catharsis. It's all very well, I told her, to watch a tragedy, think it might happen to you, and thereby cleanse yourself. Somehow it never works for me. I would rather read a book and be taken elsewhere, in her case, out of the house, or I would love to be shown another way of living, in her case, let her see how characters overcome challenges so she can be inspired. It's also how we can learn to right wrongs.
She surprised me by downloading my mystery, "The Girl Who Went Missing," and telling me that for several hours she was transported to India and other problems. I told her to keep reading...
Meanwhile, I'm happy that Kitty O doesn't have to worry about losing his vet care.
The times we live in...when sometimes, the best of times are clearly behind us ....except for Kitty O who is always here....a vet making sure he stays healthy.
You know how people raise their glasses and say "Good Health?" They should now add, "Good Health care!"