Miracles & Spectacles

Hello again, everyone--2 topics to ruminate on today: As a DJ on my favorite NY rock & roll station said earlier today, if he had to hear the phrase "debt ceiling" one more time, he would probably just pull his head right off his neck, that's how exasperated he was--however, even with all the "STURM und DRANG" (look it up, folks!!) on & over this topic & all its ramifications one way or the other, something actually came out of it to make each & every one of us pause & realize that the phrase "what doesn't kill us, maskes us stonger" has never been more true; among the "yea" votes on this bill was Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who appeared on the House floor for the first time since January, when she was shot and critically wounded at a congressional event in her Arizona district--she is not only a true medical marvel, but is stonger than any of us could ever hope to be; I start with this to balance these thoughts out with what happened on the 1st part of my commute home today: when my bus stopped to pick up passengers right before a local hospital that recently re-modeled & expanded itself (& I assume, has or recently added or revamped recovery/assistance programs for disabled and/or wheelchair bound patients), a disheveled, middle-aged man in a wheelchair & wearing what seemed like a hospital bracelet motioned to get on--the driver did the usual obligatory business to get the mechanical ramp down from the side-door & get him in; once on, it was apparent he was not only inebriated, but in what seemed to be drink holders in both arm-rests on the chair was placed a tallboy can of beer--the poor man was so far gone in both speech (which included profanity) & manner & had trouble with everything from getting on the bus, positioning himself, understanding where to do so & that he had to be strapped in, even letting the driver know where he needed to get off the bus, plus he couldn't avoid ramming into people towards the back (including me); this got me thinking if he had just come from the hospital & received any treatment, physical or mental? He was obviously a veteran, sporting several Marine tattoos & markings, but did not seem like he could take care of himself; does he have anyone who can or to go home to? Does he reside in any kind of group home or facility? We beat a topic or debate a bill to death politically, financially, idealogically & morally, but is that person solely responsible for the state & position he was in? Did the system let him down? Do we as a society do enough in instances like these? Not everyone on the bus was sympathetic to his situation (several people changed seats immediately to avoid him, one old Asian couple spoke furiously & harshly in their language, pointing towards him & a young Latina mother with 2 small children got off the bus as soon as she could; I just turned up the volume on the Ipod & enjoyed some GREEN DAY)--we all take too much for granted in our lives, & Ms Giffords is truly lucky to be alive; the veteran is alive, but what kind of life is he actually living?? Embrace & enjoy life the best you can, my friends--as corny as it always sounds, everything & anything can change in an instant...until next time, dear readers :)