I returned to work today after a few days off for the holiday in rather low spirits but determined to slog through the day the best I could. As I walked down the aisle I considered whether I should share a bit of news with my coworker. I knew that I might be asking for trouble as he might not react well. You see, he is a died in the wool teabagger type, who hates Obamacare and all it stands for. In the end, I just couldn't stop myself. I had to tell him how my sister got Obamacare. The reaction I got was not at all what I was expecting.
But first, I need to give a bit of background. My coworker is a very friendly sort who lives alone, and has no kids. He loves dogs though. He loves them so much that we often talk about his dogs and mine as it is a subject I know he will always be willing to gab on about for hours if you let him. But if you bring up guns, Democrats, Obama or Obamacare (said with a sneer) be prepared to hear an earful of vitriol. I generally avoid the subject as I like my peace at work.
Last year my coworker lost a longtime friend, his dog Honey. And even though he still had his other longtime companion, Dixie, I consoled him as his pain deserved some ease. I encouraged him, when he was ready, to honor Honey by adopting another needy dog to help fill the hole. He took my advice and found Blue. Now Blue was a handsome dog and he loved him so much that all it took were a couple of words to get him going on how wonderful a companion he was. But Blue had a hard life before coming to my coworkers loving home. My coworker was determined and nursed him back to health after many trials and visits to the vet. It only lasted a little while and then disaster struck, Blue got sick again and the vet was stumped. My coworker was beside himself.
Over the next few months he recounted all of the different treatments that were tried with no success. So he decided to take a day off to take him up to Colorado State University for their help. CSU is a well known place for animal health and they are a place of last resort for animals that just can't be diagnosed or cured in the usual manner. So they took on the challenge to find out what was ailing Blue, but I know it wasn't cheap and my coworker doesn't make a lot of money. He made several trips up there in fact and I heard him muttering about the cost, but he loved that dog so he kept on. To make a long story longer, Blue was diagnosed with a condition that is fairly rare and it looked like he was going to come out of it after lots of expensive drugs, doctor visits and specialty food. But sadly, after over a year he started to again decline and he passed away earlier this fall, but not from lack of trying by the vets at CSU who worked so hard to save him.
I consoled my coworker again as he had worked so hard to save that beautiful dog. I told him that he should be happy that he had shown Blue a wonderful life, even if it was not for long and to honor him, he should make room, when he was ready, for another dog. He took my advice.
But this time, things worked out a little bit different.
My coworker is dedicated to finding dogs that are in desperate need of rescue so even though I call him a Teabagger, I do it somewhat affectionately, as how can I not when he loves and helps dogs so much. His search for a dog this time, unexpectedly brought two and over the past few weeks I have asked for daily updates as both dogs, Faith and Optimus made their way home to his heart.
Now we just had our annual health insurance meeting where I know for a fact they went over all the new stuff that is included in the law, such as no copay for checkups, no cap on benefits, ACA only allows so much out of pocket, etc, etc. So I know this guy has 'heard' this stuff. But knowing the Fox propaganda machine, I am sure it was not assimilated, as that wall has been built strong and high. However, I know he is a smart guy and the dog lover thing means he is still redeemable in my eyes so I occasionally will engage my Teabagger friend in conversations other than about dogs. I will gently present ideas that I know are contrary to his Fox talking points with some success if I time it just right. But today, this time, I just blurted it right out;
ME: I know you don't like Obamacare...
HIM: I hate it with a burning passion!
I should have stopped right there. I knew this was wrong. But something in me just forced me to continue.
ME: So my sister has had to buy insurance in the private market and has for years because her husband is self employed and she doesn't get hers through her employer. She always has had trouble and had to pay a lot and even been turned down before because of some minor preexisting conditions. Her current policy costs over $600 a month, doesn't include prescription drugs and the deductible is $2,500 per incident...
HIM: - eyes wide - PER INCIDENT???!? Wow, that's... Per incident?
ME: I know crazy huh? But anyway, she tried to get on the Colorado Obamacare website and had a little trouble at first, but then recently tried again and was able to get insurance, WITH prescription coverage AND a deductible of only $5,000 per year for both her and her husband for $250 a month.
HIM: - silence -
As he just sat there and stared at me, I shrugged my shoulders and held up my hands as if to say - "Hey, just telling you how it is."
HIM: - complete and utter silence -
As he continued to stare at me I walked away. I figured my work there was done for the day.
Now this little story would be enough to cheer up anyone, but things didn't end there. I chuckled to myself at my desk for a little while then got back to work. I felt bad so I decided the next time I walked by I would ask how the dogs were doing. I knew this would smooth things over if needed. Well, he was glad I asked and proceeded to tell me all about how he was nursing an underfed Optimus back to his Prime (get it?).
Anyway, not twenty minutes after this conversation, I received an instant message from him that he also copied to several other dog loving coworkers - And I am not kidding when I say that I believe he did not at all see the irony, NOT AT ALL;
"All my dogs now have Insurance. I won't go through what I did before with Blue. I can't afford it."
I am sure he didn't hear my laugh down on his end of the row, but laugh I did. I could not help myself. The devil must indeed be in me today because I wrote back;
"Good idea, everyone should have health insurance so they won't go bankrupt."
And because the devil likes to laugh, he made my coworker write back;
"I agree."