Respect is Earned; It’s Not Handed out Like Blue Ribbons at a Carnival.

I have coffee almost every morning on the porch overlooking the river, the view is 16 miles to the Diablo Range and endless North to South. It’s a good place for me to think about everything under the big blue bowl. I spend some time deep breathing to ex-spell the bad stuff out of my mind, breathe in saying “In with the positive.” hold it for a few seconds exhale to “Out with the negative.” I do that whenever a bad thought passes through the canyon that is my mind. My worry is deeply embedded with the Corona-virus and the affect on our Nurse daughter in San Francisco and our EMS Grand-daughter in Fresno. After performing deep breathing and a bit of meditation some thing always happens to make me realize things are going to be Fine, just Fine.

Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

I find it funny no matter the condition we are in personally with health, finances, or emotional issues we don’t spend very much time worrying about ourselves. People I visit in the hospital without exception ask how I’m doing, I will reply sometimes with “I’m fine it’s you I’m concerned about.” to which they answer “I’m gonna be fine once I get out of here.”

I had an event two years ago when an ambulance had to be called, I had almost died the previous year from ischemic colitis and I thought it returned. I was on the second floor of our 3 story house in the bedroom. Ischemic Colitis is an illness that is extremely painful and messy, walking is nearly impossible. But so is carrying a 200 pound old guy down two flights of stairs in a stretcher, many of the EMS personnel are slight in stature. I am tough as a bag of rocks and I will walk down the stairs to help them out; I probably should not have done that.

The paramedic was a young lady, equal to the age of my Grand-daughter EMS in Fresno. The first thing she told me was there is nothing wrong with you and a transfer should have been requested because if I really needed an ambulance I would not have been able to walk down the stairs. I replied with well I’ll remember that if there is a next time. She ignored me for the rest of the drive to the hospital, no blood pressure, no temperature was taken, nothing; all she did was vent on me. My reply was she is placing her company in a heck of a liability situation; her answer was she would be if there was something wrong with me. When we got to the hospital she begins bad-mouthing me to anyone that would listen. I took it in stride, at least I was in the hospital.

I have used this photo a lot, in fact I have seen others use it as well. For me lately it defines the frame of mind I am in during this confusing time dealing with the Corona-Virus and family members involved in the front line battle. We are all in this together, a little respect goes a long way.
Holding Hands – United Community Sunset Background

About two months later I got the bill, the EMS put in a complaint that the insurance company should not pay their part of the bill because I had nothing wrong with me. I had a different gastro-intestinal issue than the ischemic colitis, it wasn’t much better but it was. Making a long story short I was granted a court case, I chose to represent myself against the hospital and ambulance company. I had no hostile feelings towards the young lady in the least, and likewise I am one of those people that really likes Kaiser Permante’. The Judge ruled in my favor, everyone was happy about it, the deductible was 1/2 the bill of $3,000.

I did not want the young lady to lose her job, I had no idea what she had been through that morning, most likely something I have never dealt with; besides I’m not in the habit of being nasty to people that save my life. She may not have but one never really knows.

My thoughts during the ordeal were actually with my Grand-daughter and the other young first responders. I have been sick, hurt, broken, and unconscience when transported by ambulance and each time the young people were wonderful. One cranky young lady didn’t and never will bother me at all when they are in a position to save my life. Truthfully my Grand-daughter is a handful as well, OK, I am too.

Those performing self-less acts for the benefit of the less fortunate deserve my respect; in my book respect is earned it’s not handed out like blue ribbons at a county fair. These people deserve it Bruce Springsteen said in a piece of music “Courage we don’t understand,” he couldn’t have been more right.

Jacques Lebec natural self reliance