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Last Updated: Dec 12, 2008 - 4:54:39 PM |
This has been a challenging year filled with many wonderful memories. There is much for which I am thankful.
Being both the publisher and the janitor of this newspaper has meant the hours have been long - perhaps a bit too long for my suddenly aging body. Unfortunately, the press deadline will not wait for a cold or the flu so despite feeling less and less well over the past few weeks, I have had to keep working. Recently, it reached the point that a visit to a doctor was in order. Here comes the part for which I am thankful.
I called for an appointment early in the morning and was told to come in later that same morning. Within minutes of arriving, I was speaking to someone about my problems - not just the hurry up and go type of speaking, but really talking to someone who made it evident she actually cared. I was told tests were needed - I had to walk across the parking lot to the hospital for that.
I arrived at the hospital, expecting a long wait. I didn’t even have time to get through the first email that had arrived on my Blackberry before I was ushered in for the first test. By the time that test was finished, someone was waiting to take me to the next. In less than an hour, I was on my way again.
This is the way healthcare should be - to say that I received outstanding, professional service would be an understatement. I cannot also stress enough that it is extremely rare. In Florida, I had an excellent physician - but she was significantly overwhelmed - that kind of thing happens when you jam 18 million people into a state. There were times when I waited more than two hours in the waiting room for my appointment. But here in Small Town USA, I received the health care most of the world can only dream about. On top of all that, as a techno-geek, I can assure you the technology they had was top notch. But even that paled in comparison to the competence and friendliness of the medical staff.
I am also thankful for all of the first responders in Iowa County. Through this newspaper, I have been honored to meet several members of that esteemed group and I am grateful for their service. I am continually impressed with everyone I meet from the Iowa County Sheriff’s Office. I am certain the low crime rate in this area is due to their dedication and professionalism. Sheriff Nick Roggentien has assembled an outstanding team - and they are committed to serving and protecting all of us. They have done a great job and they have earned the respect and gratitude of the citizens in this county.
I am also grateful to the Marengo Police Department - I still remember when we first purchased our house and had to leave for a month. A casual mention that the house would be empty resulted in me seeing a patrol car drive by no less than four times as we packed our bags later that night. In cities across America, few people are as blessed as we are.
Having recently returned to Florida for a brief visit, I can yet again attest to the fact that the quality of life here in Iowa is beyond compare. There are good people everywhere, but living in a big city it is sometimes difficult to find that out.
Miami is everything you may have read about in fiction books and more. In fact, there is no true fiction about Miami - everything that could possibly be conceived of by a fiction writer has likely already happened. I am convinced that authors merely have to pick up a newspaper or flip on the TV news to get ideas for their next weird Florida story.
It is overindulgence, overgrowth, overpopulation and over-insane all rolled into one humid bucket. It seems many people expect that you are out to kill them. That's not such a far-fetched thought, apparently, as there are guys with virtually no necks walking around in the sub-tropical heat wearing black turtle neck sweaters under black jackets with suspicious looking bulges. And there are the young punks dressed to kill seemingly carrying the attitude that one wrong look could be your last. Of course, the true killers are the ones you don’t see - a scary thought, indeed.
The truth, of course, is that not everyone wants to kill everyone else. In fact, the number of true killers in Miami is (probably) fairly small – and even among that group, you would certainly have to be worth killing for them to do so. They are not going to do it for free. Even homicidal maniacs have to pay the mortgage.
But until someone finds out that you don't want to kill them or somehow take advantage of them, they will generally be a bit... impatient... with anything and everything you could possibly do or say. The ironic part is, once they do find out you are not a murdering scam-artist, they soften and show the heart they once had for their fellow man. By and large, most everyone is a good and decent person – as I said, sometimes it just takes a while to find that out.
The worst part is, should you actually get shot, you can expect a long wait in a hospital waiting room. I’ll take Small Town USA any day. I’m thankful and grateful for what we have here.
© Copyright 2008 by The East Iowa Herald
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