"TIME GOES BY" -- HAS TGB GONE ... BY ... BYE?

MEMORIAL DAY COMMEMORATION

Memorial Day commemorates those whose lives were taken in defense of each of us and the United States.  I especially remember those who fought in WWII though few of that generation are still living -- the veterans themselves, other contemporaries.  I have written posts devoted specifically to honoring all those serving our country you may access in this blog's archives numerous years on this date.

HAS TIME GONE BY?

Others have commented here missing the "Time Goes By" community and reading Ronni Bennett's writing at her blog due to her death last year.  I was reminded last month we often celebrated her April 7th birthday with her.  I think we all knew what skills, experience and perspective with humor she brought to her blog were unique to her, not to be easily imitated or reproduced by another.  She expended considerable time and energy into promoting the goals she had for TGB's focus on aging and providing encouragement to elderbloggers.  

Like most who were influenced by or followed RB's blog we have looked forward to the blog continuing with a new writer.  We were delighted to read a close friend Ronni had encouraged decided to become TGB's blogger to be known as Autumn as she last told us in December  2020.

Since Autumn's December pronouncement TGB readers have awaited the next communique.  Some readers, including myself, wanted to support keeping the TGB community together.  We, independent of one another, tried to follow Ronni's dictum to "talk among yourselves" as she had encouraged on those few occasions in the past when she had little to write.  So, we generally referenced some topics about which she had previously written offering our new fresh commentary and encouraging others to add their thoughts, to select other of her blog post topics to comment on, or even introduce some new topics.  This was all done, hopefully to maintain interest, and TGB community followers until that unknown time when Autumn has been expected to begin writing there.

Whatever the plans for TGB they remain unknown.  In the past months comments have been closed on all of the TGB topics so keeping the blog active for reader community dialogue is obviously not part of the plan for the blog presently.  Or perhaps someone stopped the comments because too much moderating was needed for an increasing number of unacceptable comments, those seeking free advertising, trolls polluting the content.  Coincidentally, just before comments were closed, I had decided to discontinue commenting there further any way, on what I had come to see as a dormant TGB for new posts.

I don't presume to know what Ronni's thoughts were, but based on what I knew of her desire for her blog, I think she would be disappointed her blog has not been actively continued in some fashion with at least an occasional brief status update since that last December pronouncement. Possibly Autumn continues to be involved with resolving issues associated with RB's death, formulating her plans for TGB, securing her own continued anonymity if that is her preference, and many other explanations.   Everything is pure speculation so TGB followers apparently must be patient a while longer for the promised blog continuation.

I've looked forward to learning what the philosophy of TGB would be, the guidelines for posts and comments to be followed, if TGB will continue to be non-commercial as well as the blog's content focus.  I've looked forward to seeing if the blog will still be of interest to me as one of the older bloggers there.  RB was close to being a contemporary of mine though slightly younger, plus we had other shared interests.

Will matters pertaining to older bloggers be addressed as well as the focus wisely being primarily on Boomers and younger generations?  I realize as someone whose life as a child was during WWII that those of us still living are increasingly few in number, but I've appreciated encountering others like myself at TGB as well as reading of other generations experiences and point of view.  I don't know what sort of connection I may feel with another blogger or bloggers and the direction TGB may take if, in fact, TGB continues.  Unfortunately, many of the aging issues RB addressed continue to exist in our culture impacting all ages ultimately, so there are still many matters needing discussion for how to resolve.

Incidentally, quite by accident some months ago I came across an exchange of comments on another blog that has since become dormant, too.  That blogger expressed congratulations to her commenter for having decided to continue as TGB's blogger.   My clicking on that commenter's icon surprisingly to me linked to TGB though she was commenting from a different blog.  When queried about her relationship to TGB she responded such a link was an accident.  I did research that commenter's name who will remain unnamed in respect of her privacy.  I did not contact her and have no further information to share on this matter.

I don't know if or when TGB will resume with Autumn or someone else or others writing, or what is the intent for the blog's future focus and content. I'm as curious as you may be.  The December 2020 post Autumn wrote says she will be continuing with TGB, so only time will tell when a fresh post will be published, if ever.  Surely, if Autumn has since changed her mind, deciding to not assume blogging at TGB she or someone would say so.  Meanwhile, "Time Goes By".

 

RECALLING 1941

In memoriam ...  all those whose lives were sacrificed December 7^th and after

Commemorating the forever altered lives of so many.…so our families could survive in a continuing free nation.

…some of us recall the day

…some of us recall our parents describing the day

…some of us recall a school history book account of the day

…war’s horrors had once more been set in motion         

December 7^th gives me pause each year to remember…..that Sunday morning in 1941…..

Mother and I learned of the attack on Pearl Harbor while attending our regular weekly church service.    We had arisen that Sunday morning as usual, dressed, ate our breakfast, caught the city bus near our house to ride down town, then walk the few blocks to our church while my high school age brother slept at home.   He had taken a job in a supermarket meat department, working until early Sunday morning hours beginning months earlier.   Mother didn’t expect him to attend church, knowing he needed the rest.   

  

She remembered WWI – the sacrifices affecting family and friends when she was a young single woman.  She had learned then of war’s horrors so knew what another war, possibly on our shores, could mean.    She was now the mother of a son who could be called to fight.

 

I would begin to learn what war meant in the months to come.    

   

The ensuing WWII impacted all our lives in multiple ways.   Following high school graduation, because that was the earliest our Mother would  sign for him to enlist,  my brother finally joined the U.S. Navy where he served in the Pacific Theater – thankfully uninjured when he mustered out at war’s end.  

Years after WWII ended he lived on Hawaii's Oahu.    Circumstances were such I was with him on an occasion to await the arrival of a young non-military loved one returning from summer employment on Eniwetok -- a Pacific coral atoll – site of a WWII battle – years later the site of the first U.S.  H-Bomb test.   

Standing on the landing area at Hickam Air Base which had been so viciously strafed – where our Air Force had experienced so much loss that Sunday morning in 1941 – I was acutely aware those many years later of my surroundings tragic history.    I also was reminded watching the handsome young man deplaning that he would not have been present had his father not survived his WWII Pacific arena military service.   I thought then, and each December 7th, about how many others were not so fortunate.  

The veterans who survived the 1941 attack have dwindled in number just as have all WWII veterans, including my brother where he lived his last years on the Big Island of Hawaii.   We honor those lives specifically lost on that fateful December 7^th.     We must not forget those individuals, the lessons of that day, or that war ­-­- World War II. 

We want to continue to honor all those who contributed to our countries survival as a nation. 

How many people realize that had our country and our Allies in other countries not prevailed in WWII that the USA would not exist as the democratic republic in which we’ve been privileged to live?    

The greatest tribute we can offer those who have given so much is to insure our system of government is preserved.

Healthcare for All

with Timely Service Delivery

Veterans Care Idea


(This note added after post was published: Thanks to Nancy for providing this link to Kevin Ferris' 11/10/07 Philadelphia Inquirer article titled "A son's pain leads a father to call for help for the VA" documenting the idea source below. This article very effectively describes what too many of our veterans experience in their efforts to seek needed care.)


My Veterans Day post elicited some interesting comments deserving of further thought. Here are some matters which have been on my mind for some time.

A comment from Nancy from Pennsylvania (blog not known, or she may not have one) noted:

"Some of our young men and women are waiting months for appointments at the VA hospitals around the country. While they wait, they often suffer."

This "waiting" is a critical issue for me, as is the "suffer" from the delay. This is true not just for our veterans, but for all our current health care services, and for whatever system we may adopt in the future. Timely delivery of medical services is vital to optimize recovery and minimize deterioration.

Veterans definitely require timely deliver of medical care. Also, any consideration we give to modifying our current health care system, and certainly all plans for a national health care system, must ensure timely delivery of services, whether or not the ailment is life threatening.

My information gathering for several recent years about universal health care systems in other countries (Great Britain, Canada) is on a first person anecdotal level -- from young to elder adults. The one consistent criticism with their systems is with the care delay in many non-life threatening situations. The reports are of long waits "a year or more" for medical care/service for what is considered "elective surgery" i.e. joint, hip replacement surgery and many other non-cosmetic services that can seriously deteriorate with time from a bad situation to worse or more. A few months ago one individual I met reported, in reference to undue service delays, "...not just one year, but two!" This young woman added, "I should know, because I work for the NHS." (National Healthcare System in Great Britain)

I am not writing this in opposition to adopting a national healthcare system in the USA. The lack of healthcare for too many people in this country is a blight on our nation, sad commentary on our society, and heart-breakingly tragic for those parents, children, families, friends, neighbors, others, when they have need. I know of several individuals, in their midlife years, who are only a step away from losing their home, being forced into bankruptcy, should a medical problem require hospitalization and surgeries. The job they hold to pay what insurance they currently can afford would possibly be lost. Or, they might not even be able to perform their previous work if they are able to return following recovery.

I simply want to clearly define at least one of the features I consider essential to any healthcare system we adopt in this country -- timely delivery of services and not just for life-threatening medical problems. I wonder what features are considered vital by others?

Incidentally, (and this is hardly an incidental matter since I'm in this group,) those with what they believe currently to be good insurance coverage and medical service from their doctors, (my primary coverage is Medicare supported by a private supplemental plan,) would be well-advised to recognize we are not immune from possible less desirable health care changes in the years ahead as rising health care costs continue unabated.

I have read numerous reliably documented reports that an increasing number of physicians are refusing to accept Medicare insurance-covered patients. In fact, I have reason to believe I experienced this denial in one instance when I had to seek a specialist a few months ago. I was accepted at another specialist's office, but never saw him, only his nurse practitioner.

The question might be, to what extent does the fact that Medicare reimbursement rates for physicians are being decreased influence these physician actions? The rate decrease is noted in this American Medical Association's Patients Action Network report.

The issues I've mentioned here are only a few threads extracted from the healthcare coverage cloak in which we all want to wrap ourselves, so that we each can have the care we desire and deserve in this wealthy nation of ours. We certainly do need to continue to dialogue about these topics and others which readers might suggest.

One of those threads, Nancy mentioned in her comment, was a possible way to ensure our veterans receive the healthcare to which they are entitled. Here's what she wrote:

"A local activist here in Pennsylvania has a suggestion that he hopes will be put into action in relief of these veterans.

"His plan is for every Doctor in the country to "Adopt" a veteran to take care of. Just think, the young man or woman who needs help would be treated locally by a Doctor who would have a sincere interest in him/her.No long waits for appointments with a hassled Doctor at the VA who has hundreds of others to take care of at the same time. The local Doctor would become a friend, healer and champion of the vet who needs him .

"What do you think? Would it work?"

My response, Nancy, is anything is possible, but probable is another question. I'm not a Doctor, so I will not presume to surmise what the medical profession's reaction to this idea might be. I believe the local activist would be wise to consult with some doctors as to the viability of such an undertaking, to understand the pros and cons of the matter, if the activist has not already done so. If this idea has any realistic expectation of being adopted, I would think the local activist's best chance for successful implementation will be by obtaining the physicians' support. If the activist gains a Doctor(s) support, then perhaps the plan could be undertaken on a small scale. The idea seems simple and workable enough on the surface, but I think the layers in making it function are more complex.

I would certainly welcome others ideas on Nancy's question and on other healthcare issues, whether or not mentioned here.