Is it Too Early for an Election Hangover?
So here I am, on the cusp of a surprise vacation (as in "You've got a mess of PTO and if you don't use it STAT, you ain't gettin' more. . .")--a blessed two weeks with no plans other than a stack of books, a hammock, and perhaps a pitcher of margaritas at some point--and a whole lotta schoolwork to blast through. The timing seems opportune, given that I feel like I've been saturated against my will with politics since about 2000 (here in the land of cronyism and hanging chads) and may go straight up and scatter if it isn't over soon. At least if I'm not at my computer so much, I can pretend to ignore it until the dust settles.
Not that there aren't a ton of issues that are important to me, both personally and pertaining to work, because there certainly are--outsourcing, healthcare, low wages, insurance, and the fact it's getting harder to pay my bills, though I'm working twice as hard. It's just that with a week and a half to go, pretty much everyone knows how they're voting and only a stupefyingly indecisive few are left to convince. Further debates, ads, robocalls, junk mail, and message board scuffles are akin to having to eat Thanksgiving dinner twice in one day to satisfy dueling grandmas--overkill!
Still, I have done this to myself to a large degree. I'm a compulsive petition-signer, without the sense to use a fake email address, so I get dozens of updates and pleas for help daily. Most go in the virtual circular file, but some intrigue the activist in me, especially when they relate to work. Anyone working acute care knows very well how the system is strained by patients' lack of insurance (our ERs are swamped with the indigent, uninsured, and illegals, who see them as their only source of primary care), dwindling benefits (insured patients' coverage, veterans, and Medicare), and a whole spectrum of problems faced by the elderly and disabled. If you've also worked a Canadian account, these problems become really three dimensional in comparison because the differences in systems is astounding.
As remote employees, though, there's not a lot we can do to advocate for patients in the way, say, nurses and social workers do. I can certainly participate on a broader level, though, pestering government representatives about issues that affect us all. I think one of the most important things to come out of this year's campaign is the fact that--despite some snarky attempts by some to denigrate community activists--grassroots activism has become a force to contend with. The internet is mightier than the pen or the sword in that everything travels exponentially further and faster, and citizens who are tired of being ignored by the policy makers have realized they have a powerful collective voice. Anonymous viral email campaigns can also spread misinformation like wildfire, but are countered with an almost-instantaneous fact-check; we're not limited to whatever 30-second snapshots someone puts on TV as a way to get to know candidates because now they are documented for better or worse in the world of You Tube; and our elected representatives are largely only a mouse click away. Those of us too lazy to stand outside the supermarket with a clipboard or man the phone banks at political headquarters really have no excuse not to take part in the process.
Even better, this sense of empowerment seems to have sparked a new generation. After a decade or so of disinterest, I see my kids' peers as suddenly feeling passionate and optimistic about their place in the world. There's a very '60s retro thing happening, if you just pay attention.
To add my contribution to the political information overload, I'll limit myself to one example, as it might feel relevant to others in HIM, as well: Healthcare United, who state they are "a new, national movement of nurses, doctors, and healthcare workers uniting our voices to heal our broken healthcare system." So the MTs and coders are probably still relegated to the basement--when you're telecommuting, you take your socializing where you can get it.
Even better, if you're one of those apparently confuzzled 10% of undecided voters, you can go to their "compare the candidates" page, where they itemize the candidates' stand on the various issues that pertain to us, side by side.
For myself, I'm braving the rain and doing my citizen's duty today (early voting--yay!), so I can coast through the next two weeks and whip up that batch of margaritas with a clear conscience. Honestly, I plan on hitting the pharmacology course with a veangeance--but first, a token gesture to celebrate the spirit of R & R.