Bits and pieces

July was the last time I made a blog entry.  But, I finally got my time at the lone computer in our house!  We all use iPhones, so the one computer is generally taken.  But it's my turn!

Over the past months I have thought of potential blog entries in my head, but vetoed all of them.   They seemed to all start sounding the same.  Or I thought they would be misconstrued as political and I don't want this blog to be political.  Or I thought I was complaining too much.  Or maybe everything was too good - that often happens on Facebook where everyone thinks they know what is happening in the lives of others, but they are only getting a small piece.  Or how was I going to incorporate God into something - God is everywhere, but incorporating God in every writing can be a challenge.

So, here are some some bits and pieces from the past few months with the caveat that nothing is intended to be political, too happy, too sad, ..., and God is everywhere so sometimes not everything has that God element to it..........................

We switched churches a lot growing up.  I have a lot of memories from St. Johns Cathedral in Denver, so we must have gone there a lot.  Driving past it now, it simply is not as big as I remember! We usually went to the main space there for worship, but my dad has never liked Communion so occasionally I remember going with him to a smaller chapel where there was a much smaller service.  I remember going there with just him because I liked going to church and I am not sure where the rest of my family was, but memories like this add to my confusion when asked who influenced my faith?  I don't know - I remember being interested in church always, and wanting more, and not getting more in terms of church.  We had a discussion of different types of churches and services today in church so I randomly thought of this.  Bits and pieces.

Guns.  Great transition!  I am fine with people owning guns (well, I don't see why background checks are a big deal - you have to have a background check for many things like being employed somewhere).  Go hunt with your guns.  My daughter thinks guns should be outlawed and she is a vegetarian so it really might work for her.  I digress.  If you see someone walking down the street, openly carrying a rifle over their shoulder, how do you feel?  Safe?  I don't.  So, fine.  Guns.  Get a concealed weapons permit.  But honestly if I see someone carrying a gun down the street, I am getting away!  I think people should not be allowed to openly carry guns outside.  Get a concealed weapons permit.  I think those are the people who keep us safe.  There.  My opinion on guns.  Bits and pieces.

Maybe you are wondering, since this blog is on MS and faith, where the MS part is!  Well, that is the happy part.  I am doing well.  In the last entry I was experiencing a bunch of pain.  That has been gone for a while.  It was horrible pain and I can't control when it will come again, so I cherish each day without it.  That's the thing about MS.  You never know what "presents" you get when.  I continue to improve although much of that is invisible.  I am getting faster and have better balance.  Last week the electricity at work went off and I walked down 40 stairs to get to the ground level.  As soon as I got there, the power came on.  Perhaps that is God's sense of humor.  Way to go, Beth - you got down the stairs - here is some light just for you!

People.  People are always intriguing.  Where I work now I wheel uphill to get into work.  People always want to push me.  Did they ever think maybe I like to go slowly so I can have a last feel and look at the outside, before venturing inside for the day?  A person remarked to me how long things must take.  I told her that you just get used to things.  This is true.  But many people get used to many things and if you have a couple kids, I bet you are a bit slower than without those kids!

Most frequent comment by people to me: "Wow.  Looks like we need a blue button there."  No, we don't.  Blue buttons are supposed to allow doors to be opened automatically.  They are expensive.  I would rather open the door myself.  Common action: push the blue button for the person who might use it!  Guess what?  By the time they get there, the door is going to start to close.  If they want to push the blue button, they can push it.  And the other thing I have noticed is that about half the blue buttons do not work so what is the point?  Bits and pieces.

Let's look at these people at risk and make sure they don't become the highest risk people in healthcare.  This is the sick group and then there is the sickest of the sick.  Seriously?  Just because someone is higher-cost and higher-utilization does not mean they are sick or sickest of the sick.  Define sick.  Sick is not having a chronic condition.  But people call it that.  I swear I thought people knew this until I left the company where I had worked for 15 years and then learned the term "sickest of the sick."  Bits and pieces.

Let's have a sole carrier healthcare system in Colorado!  No, let's not.  Seriously let's think about it.  Let's not make a sole carrier healthcare system.  Bits and pieces.

There are so many bits and pieces and these are just a few.  But while my blog hasn't been very active recently, I have been.  It's been a fun ride.

Peace.