I was going to wish everyone a merry or happy Christmas. But this year, I cannot bring myself to do it.
For the first time in my 50+ years, I just feel that the words would be empty. We have all been thru a very, very hard year.
My 2 years at the GR Vets home was bad enough a decade ago. But what the current residents have been forced to endure is beyond mere words. Had I been there, I would have gone insane, or would have left to live on the street rather than be in room restriction via unconstitutional house arrest due to the politics that are still ruining what should be one of jewels in Michigan's Crown, making us stand out from the other 49 states.
The location of the new style of home, is a disaster that destroyed old growth trees that made the grounds a nice place to take a walk. That small forest is now gone, just like Michigan's white pine trees.
The politics of the place is still wrong. Tracy, the current director is doing as she was hired to do, but its difficult when the MVAA and people within our government insist on micromanaging the place. They refuse to run it as a non profit, and instead run it as a for profit venture on the backs of disabled veterans and taxpayers.
600 thousand veterans in Michigan and we the people can't even properly care for less than 400 of those who need care the most, at our 2 current locations. The 3rd location will be ready about the time the new GR Home will be finished, but that will mean about 400 total, out of what was nearly 1,000 between the Home in Marquette and the GR home, when I was there a decade ago.
2020 has also been a year of major change. Isolation, the way we work, the way we go about our lives, everything has been affected by the COV19 virus epidemic. Poor leadership, constant conflicting information, Mass Media sources exerting censorship over peoples conversations on social media, news media that is clearly biased and with an agenda that is not necessarily that of the people of our once great nation, all have taken its toll on us this year.
Even our election process of one person, one vote, came under attack this year, with the 2020 election filled with hundreds of cases of events which have resulted in the election results not being able to be properly verified. From out right voter fraud, illegals voting, people voting twice, state workers not following their state laws on the handling of votes, the mail in vote fiasco, and election observers not being allowed to attend and witness the vote counting, and the question of the accuracy and validity of the Dominion vote counting machines themselves, have made the 2020 election the worst mess in our nations history. Tens of thousands of voters in all 50 states now are left wondering if voting even matters any more?
And then there is the medical toll this took on so many of us. Hospitals and clinic's both private and public, limited their services to the point where needed procedures were put on hold, and people's heal deteriorated until it became critical, and only then would they be seen and given proper medical attention.
That is what happened to me. I was having problems in February and our local VA doctors took 9 months to figure out they could not help me and they sent me to Outside Medical people (Spectrum health) after I ended up calling the ambulance and spending a week in hospital. Non VA medical has done more for me in the last 60 days than the VA has done in the last 24 months.
Add to that the stress of being forced to relocate during the middle of the economic shut down, unlawfully imposed by our state Governor, added too much stress to my situation, making it worse. At a time when landlords could not evict for failure to pay rent, (I paid mine on time for 6 years at that location) they decided not to renew my lease. It was difficult to find a new place when everyone was working from home and not at the office. What should have taken 30 days took 3 months. But I did find a place and am relocated. But it took its toll on my health.
It's gone too far. All this pushed me over the edge so to say. I finally admitted to myself that I am now on the down hill run to making the crossing to the next reality. It may not happen anytime soon, but it will happen sooner than later. And I need to start getting ready for it. Writing a Will, and instructions. Looking at future living locations when my health really starts to fail and I am no longer able to do even the basic things. None of this is pleasant.
And like some of you, I too lost family this year to COV19 complications. 2 close relatives caught it and never recovered. Other extended family members have it or got it and when thru it this year.
And finally after all that draconian lockdown stuff imposed on our veterans at the GR home, we find that after Thanksgiving, a big wave of COV19 hit the place and we lost 12 people, with many more new cases being reported including friends who are still there.
So I cannot wish anyone a happy or merry Christmas. It just doesn't feel like Christmas this year.
