Tuesday, January 3, 1984

Hats off to Presidential Candidate Reverend Jessie Jackson. He pulled off getting a captured Naval Bombardier released from a Syrian prison. From what I gathered on the news, the Reagon Administration didn't even ask for the naval officer's release. Why Not? Why do private citizens have to do the government's work for them? We certainly pay enough in taxes to be able to afford to pay a dignitary to meet with the Syrian President to try to arrange a release for one of our American citizens. Maybe an American citizen isn't important to this administration. If one citizen isn't, are two, twenty, two hundred thousand or two million? Why didn't the other Presidential Candidates have enough sense to talk to the Syrian President about the officer's release? Again, hats off to Reverend Jesse Jackson for having good, old, common, horse sense.

If I had a problem with a neighbor, I would have enough sense to try to talk to him about it, not just complain to my own family at home about the situation. Maybe Reverend Jackson could go talk to Russian Premier Andropov for me, because I'm kind of upset about the direction the arms race is taking, and it wouldn't hurt to go talk to President Reagon about it too.

Love called today from the Veteran"s Administration hospital. I'm starting to miss him, pain-in-the-neck that he can be. I was glad to talk to him. Apparently, the government hospitals are the same as the government elevators, hurry up and wait. He didn't even get to see a doctor today. I know that government grinds slowly, but will somebody tell me why the government elevators are the slowest in the country too.

Mom got her cane today, but her mind is so bad sometimes, she not only forgets it, but she forgets how to use it. It has to be firmly planted on the floor, not swinging wildly in the air, to be of any use. I can already judge it's a waste of money, the same as her new $1,071.00 upper dentures and lower partial plate. She'll take a bite of food and forget to chew; she even forgets that she has food in her mouth. So, even though she can chew everything now, her diet hasn't improved much, and certainly not $1,071.00 worth. She doesn't understand that the cane should be carried in the right hand of a right-handed person, to avoid tripping over two of the four legs. She lets go of it and grabs the furniture, bookcase, walls, everything. but the cane. It was a shot in the dark, the same as her dentures. I was hoping it would improve her quality of life.

He dentist was a superb dentist, however, because the dentures fit perfectly. She didn't have any sore spots in her mouth, and he arranged a payment plan for her, so, she could get her teeth, even though they weren't paid for yet.

If you ever see a little, white-haired, lady with a toothy smile, who's swinging a four-legged cane in her left hand, while grabbing the curb or a tree with her right hand, please point her in the direction of my house, because she most likely belongs here, and has forgotten.