We need old-fashioned communication on topics like health care reform

Karen Sundell

Guest columnist

When my grandparents were in their 80s, most homes were getting their first personal computers. The family thought my grandparents would like a computer, so we asked if they’d like one.

They gave us a rather puzzled looked and asked what they’d use it for. The only reason they could come up with was to store some of their favorite recipes on it, but other than that, they said they didn’t have a use for “that piece of machinery.”

Later, my grandfather told my mother in a private conversation that the world had passed him by. With the age of the computer and cell phones, he said he no longer fit in with this world.

He died when he was 95, and I have to admit, I never heard him use the phrase, “Google it.”

While my two boys were growing up, every evening I insisted that we gather around the table for dinner. When they grew into teenagers, there were evenings when the dinners lasted only minutes, but at least they were there.

I’d read somewhere that, if your children had to look you in the eyes every night across the dinner table, they were less likely to do drugs and would do better in school. But what I find now as we gather around the table is they are less likely to look me in the eyes.

They look down as they receive one of the many text messages from their friends.

It would be easy to set the rule of no cell phones at the dinner table, but complaints arise from my husband as he explains he needs his phone at all times, in case one of his clients needs to reach him.

And I refuse to establish the “do as I say, not as I do” mentality in my household.

When I was growing up, I would meet with friends, hang out in an empty farmer’s field, go for a walk; you know, meet face to face.

One of my teenagers thinks socializing is meeting up with his friends on one of his computer games or on Xbox and playing for hours.

That’s hard for me to understand. I like to talk to someone, read their expressions and

look into their eyes, in between text messages.

All the rules of communication have changed. Communication is now instantaneous, with many social networking sites set up for that reason. You can let people know what you’re doing at that exact moment, whenever you want.

Long gone are the days of waiting for a letter to arrive in the mail (unless it’s a letter of acceptance to a college).

I even gave Facebook a try and was surprised at how many of my high school friends contacted me within days of setting up my page.

Perhaps we don’t need high school reunions anymore; you can find everyone with the click of a button.

The other change facing all of us is in the health care system. I think it’s obvious that something has to be done. So many don’t have the coverage they desperately need.

There was a time when my husband and I owned our own business which funded our insurance. Things worked great for us then.

After we sold our business, we had to pay for private health insurance, and it has steadily increased to a point we almost can’t afford it.

We have experienced two health crises that would have put us in extreme financial distress if we hadn’t kept that insurance. In my mind, we were lucky.

Not everyone is as lucky as we were, and they have suffered the consequences.

What does surprise me is the anger coming during at the town hall meetings. I don’t think it’s all about health reform.

When people hear the government thinks this plan is good for everyone, but members of Congress don’t want to give up their own plans, it makes people doubt the validity of health care reform.

Government officials are sending the message “do as I say, not as I do.”

We can’t just let the world pass us by. We need to continue to educate ourselves to separate fact from fiction on the health care reform.

And members of Congress need to stop looking down at their next text message and look us in the eyes to send clear messages on how this reform is going to be better for all of us.

Karen Sundell is a guest columnist for the Peninsula Gateway and can be reached at ksundell@comcast.net.