My father and the election

I've been promising a lot of people that I would update my blog, so here I am. So much has changed since my last blog post and I can't help but laugh. I was so full of anticipation and delight. Well, I had my last day at the job I started in September today and am moving on to a position where I will be able to use my degree and training. It's a real triumph in Sierraland. And, while I'm about as excited as I've ever been to start this new position in two days, I'm not so chipper at the moment. I'm in a great deal of pain and I can't make it stop. My biological father, Paul, is ill. Very ill. He's been in the hospital since Saturday with liver and kidney failure. While the seriousness of his illness is clear, the prognosis and how we will cope with it is dreadfully unclear.

I've been in shock since I found out. Well, since my step-mother, Maggie, called me a week ago and told me he wasn't doing well. We discussed his condition and considered ways of working together to provide my father the care he needs. See, my dad isn't just sick, he's poor. His insurance dropped him when he became ill last October and he and his wife have been struggling to pay for his meds. They can't afford in-home care for him and they can't afford for Maggie not to work. But, her unemployment is running out and she can't find a job close enough to home. They're damned if they do and damned if they don't. When Maggie told me on Saturday that he'd been rushed to the hospital it wasn't just the pain of his being sick that struck me, it was the helplessness of not being able to make things better. As good as my life is, I can't afford to take care of my dad. So, here we are. Lost.

Forgive me if I preach today. Forgive me if I use my own situation and my own pain for political reasons, but I have long believed that the personal is political. We as a country are choosing our leader for the next four years at the polls tomorrow. I hope you will keep my father and his situation in mind when you vote and select someone who believes everyone has the right to quality healthcare, regardless of the their pre-existing condition or the amount of money they have in the bank. I don't care if you're fiscally conservative. I don't. I don't care if you think Obama hasn't done "enough." What I care about is people like my father who deserves to not have to suffer excruciating pain until the end of his life because he's not wealthy. What I care about is people like my friends who deserve to be able to marry their lovers one day, regardless of their gender. What I care about is women everywhere being able to receive affordable check ups and preventative care from Planned Parenthood. What I care about it creating a country of compassion, not one hellbent on ignorance and the consolidation of wealth among the select few.

So, I'm sorry if you find my conclusion offensive, but I'm sick of pretending like who the president is doesn't affect my life. I'm sick of pretending like I'm zen enough not to be terrified. Because I am. I'm afraid that by Wednesday morning, we will have elected a president who is on the wrong side of history.