So, I was sitting on a chair in the hall of the county courthouse this morning [View all]

[Skidmore]

Last edited Tue Nov 12, 2013, 01:58 PM - Edit history (3)

waiting for the driver's license office to open. Now we live in a fairly conservative rural county in Iowa. Lots of work over the past two elections turned it blue enough to get the vote out for the President.

Anyway, this guy with a shock of gray hair atop craggy sunbrowned face and wearing bibbed overalls and and a barn coat walked up. He asked me if I knew where the restrooms were. Well, I only go out there once very 4-5 years to renew my driver's licence so I can't be of assistance. A clerk walked out of one of the offices and directed him on his way. He returned in about 10 minutes and stopped again. Said he was there to check about jury duty and he was anxious about it because he had finally found a new job. He was starting over again and was fearful that jury duty would derail him with the job.

We started to chat a bit and he told me that his wife had passed away a couple of years ago after a prolonged illness. She had also been dropped by the insurance that they had paid $800/month for. Her out of pocket medical bills were $400K by the time she passed. He shook his head and told me that he had paid it all off except for the final $11K, for which he had been working temp jobs or anything he could get to earn enough to pay off. He had liquidated all of his assets--sold his house and outbuildings, vehicles, and furniture. Said he had been unable to get insurance himself because he had a pre-existing condition.

At the onset of this conversation, I was kind of expecting a sledgehammer to be lowered on Dems and ACA because he had come to this area from Steve King's district. Instead, the man went on to tell me that he didn't blame the President for the problems with the ACA. That he blamed Congress and wanted to see all of those who are trying to stand in the the way of ACA and the work of the government be voted out of office. He was very upset with King and his "buddies" (Cruz and the 40 thieves) and he really would like to get Boehner in a room to give him a piece of his mind.

You know, it was nice to hear someone else say this out loud. Sometimes you just have to step away from the naysayers of the cyber universe.