Thankful

It was standing room only in the Urgent Care Clinic yesterday afternoon.

I planned my trip accordingly. It opened at noon. I got there 20 minutes later.

I keep thinking of a saying that I'll remember for the rest of my life: Be thankful for what you have. You could have a lot less.

The two people in front of me, both with kids, were asked to pay a $50 co-pay. Both people walked out of the building without saying a word.

Their kids were sick and they didn't have $50 to have them seen.

Today, I'm thankful that I can go to the doctor when I don't feel good. I'm thankful that I can afford an emergency room bill five days after my health insurance deductible reset in the first week of January.

I'm thankful that I can go to the pharmacy and get medicine whenever I need to. I'm thankful that my pharmacist and his employees know me by name, and offer to deliver my medicine when I'm holed up sick in my house.

I'm thankful I have a house, albeit a little old (118 years old, to be exact) and a little drafty.

I'm thankful that my parents made me work for what I have since the day that I turned 16. I'm thankful that they taught me that I need to take care of myself, because you can't rely on anyone else to take care of you.

And for those wondering: No, I don't have the flu. I never did. Yes, I still have a cough, but no, I'm not contagious. No, I am not going to walk around and spread my illness around. You can't really give people double ear infections. If you piss me off, I might try, though.