Deep Thoughts at Starbucks

Yesterday, I went to Starbucks to get some work done on my dissertation while my car was getting its oil changed. I went in and a boy, maybe 18 years old, who had some kind of mental handicap was in the front of the line trying to buy a drink. He was difficult to understand, but was showing the cashier his one dollar to see what drink he could buy with it. This was Starbucks and so it's no surprise that there was nothing for that price. As the cashier was explaining this to him, a woman who was waiting for her coffee to be made came over, handed the cashier a Starbucks card, and told her to get him whatever he wanted. He ordered his venti iced pumpkin latte and waited for it while the man in front of me and I ordered our coffees. It did occur to me to offer to pay for his coffee. This is a boy who couldn't buy what he wanted and, while I am by no means rich, I was paying $3 for an overpriced, but small, drink so I could afford another one. I didn't offer, however, and let someone else be the generous person in this situation for a couple reasons. First, I didn't want to spend any more money than I had to (the cheapskate defense). Second, I don't see the benefit of giving coffee to someone. It reminds me of a lady I used to work with who would whine about being broke, but went to a nail salon faithfully every week to get her nails done. Or the Christmas present charities where the Christmas list requests of the needy families includes XBox games. Or the woman who uses the food stamp money to buy food and supplies for the family, and uses cash to buy a large dog and all the accessories that go with that dog. Does the pleasure of a moment of indulgence do something for someone that taking care of practical needs does not? This boy was clearly troubled, as time went on it was clear he was a regular to this shop and he talked to the manager about "troubles" in his last visit not happening again and showed scars from a recent suicide attempt (debatable if it was real as the scar was on his upper arm).
What does it really mean to help someone out? This is something I'm pondering for my dissertation, but on a personal level as well. If I go out and work to aid needy people, do I bring with me all the practical supplies they need only, or do I throw in some toys and candy as well? I just don't know.

My Life's Motto

Hello all

Well, I've decided to join the blog bandwagon and, instead of sending out those annoying mass emails to everyone, write a mass blog to everyone and then it's up to you to read. Of course, knowing me some of you might be saying "I wonder how long she's going to keep this up," which is a valid point to which I will say, I have no idea. I just know that I enjoy reading little tidbits about other people's lives and sometimes have things that I want to say about my life, job, life's purpose, frustrations, etc. so this seemed like a fairly good venue in which to share. Eventually I'll add some pictures for those of you more visually oriented, but my cameras broken at the moment, and so you'll have to be content with words and the few "borrowed" pictures I get online.
To get this started, I will share with you my frustration of the moment. I am currently without healthcare. I just started my job and will have healthcare on October 1st, but as it is still September, I'm healthcare-less. This did not seem to be a problem at all until Jordan came down with a fever on Friday night. The fever continued through the weekend and after a fairly good day on Sunday, she woke up Monday with her fever over 100. Now I am faced with a dilemma. What do I do? Do I take her to the doctor she is scheduled to start seeing in October, or do we wait it out? I decide to wait it out. The fever still persists and Tuesday she's fairly sick and lethargic all day. Right before dinner, she took a nap and woke up dizzy with a huge headache. I decided to give in, after all this is my baby and I don't want her to suffer because I'm cheap and, for the time being, monetarily challenged. So I call the doctor on Wednesday and she wants to see Jordan. I go into the doctor's office in the afternoon and Jordan is bouncing off the walls with energy. No fever, no headache. Still, she has seemed a little better before in the week, so I pay for the visit and the doctor sees her for about 2 minutes, looks in the throat says "it's a little red." Asks about symptoms, none of which are usual for the flu, but she says there's been a flu going around (other kids have nausea, cold, etc. which Jordan doesn't have, but nevertheless it's the diagnosis I'm given). So she writes a prescription for Amoxicillin and sends me on my way. I'm left with another choice, fill the prescription and drug my daughter, or see where this all goes. I decide to wait again. I generally always choose the non-drug route if possible. Jordan is fine the rest of the day, and she wakes up this morning with no fever and no headache, ready to return to school. This kind of thing always happens to me. By the time I decide to get to a doctor, they do a cursory look-over without getting any real idea of what the problem is and send me on my way with a prescription (I once got a Valium prescription for a stiff neck, along with 2 other pain prescriptions). My question? Do we really need doctors? Yes, there are times when I'm glad doctors are around - ear infections, broken bones, serious illnesses need professional treatment. I just wonder about all those other things doctors do. I very rarely come away from a doctor's office feeling satisfied, and I very rarely choose to go to the doctor when I'm sick in the first place.
Well, I don't know if blogging about my frustrations helps or not, but at least now you all can share my pain for the moment!