16261--Into the Fire

I underwent surgery just over a week ago.  Some guys in masks cut into my leg and chopped off the top of my femur.  I'm working on getting my walk back into shape.  The docs seem to be most surprised by the fact that it doesn't hurt, especially with me having declined the pain-killers...and the walker.  For good or ill, being that stubborn is just pushing the physical therapy folks to give me more excercise to do.  Yay.

April is half-gone, but the writing goes well as thoughts of murder and mayhem spill out through my fingertips.  I usually regard that as a symptom of Life being generally good.  At the same time, though, Congress is still in session.  I usually regard that as...let's just say, not so good.  I've always found fictional human suffering far more palatable to the real thing.  Our congresspeople apparently don't share my position on that.

I don't consider myself some sort of political hack or even a know-it-all, but I really have to question them and their activities...frequently.  I wish that we, collectively, managed more effectively to hold our government's feet to the fire and had them doing the things we want them to do and live up to the promises that keep coming out of the mouths of the politicians.  That might seem odd to them, being politicians, but we do keep track of the things they say and hate their double-speak.

People are out of work and losing homes in ever-increasing numbers.  Our politicians are arguing over budget numbers and over where to apply funds amongst projects that We the People probably don't care about as much as our own food and shelter and families.  Do I want to hear about how there are record numbers of home foreclosures and that the government is not going to live up to Obama's promise to help fix it on the same day I'm hearing about $150 million allocations to the National Endowment of the Arts that'll likely go to fund obscure art projects that most of us are never going to see.  That and a lot of other money could really go to helping out in more tangible ways to help America's economic recovery.  Throwing monies to financial institutions that continue to mismanage it?  Let AIG go down the drain and cut checks to the people who need it.  Hand $50,000 to some family with employment and mortgage trouble and you'll do them a lot more good than giving hundreds of millions to an insurance company that's going to deny the family's healthcare claim the next month or embezzle their pension.

I'm going to keep on writing.  It's good for me: exercise for my brain.  Thanks for reading.  You're welcome back any time.  Tell your friends.

Phoenix