Spanish views from a small town

Yesterday afternoon I had an appointment at the local hospital for a mammogram.  There really is nothing special in that, except for the fact that I was scheduled for one automatically, upon having passed my fiftieth year. For several years, our regional health service programs mammograms for all women fifty years old and over, as an attempt to cut down on the death rates for breast cancer, by catching it early. A few years ago, they began on another project to prevent colon cancer, as well, in both men and women. It was simple. I received a letter telling me of the appointment. I showed up, followed the line to Radiology, and waited. It turned out that the waiting room for mammograms was in a different spot, as a nurse cleared up after a few minutes, by coming out and calling anyone who was scheduled for one to follow her. After a few minutes, I was called in, and answered a questionnaire. I was also told I would receive the results at home within a month or less. If the radiologi...

This morning, I had to take my daughter to a doctor's appointment for a physical for her new job. Because of the devil virus, I couldn't wait in the waiting room with her and had to wander outside on the streets.  As I started wandering around, I decided to go to the insurance office where our cars have their insurance policies. I just wanted to assure myself that there would be no problem with our daughter taking the car to work every day, since she has just gotten her license. I went in, explained, asked if she was covered under our policies, and the woman looked at me and said, No. Uh oh. But, if she was a household driver, like my husband and I, surely it didn't matter if she drove the car. Would it? Yes, it mattered. It mattered to the insurance company. Because she is a novel driver, we have to pay a supplement for her. I sighed. How much? From five hundred on up. My jaw dropped. I think our yearly policies on each of our two cars barely reach three hundred. The woman...

It's not enough that with the general elections set for the twentieth of December we have to listen to the mad ravings of politicians. It's not enough that after doing everything they legally could to hamper people from voting by setting elections on a day so close to Christmas and trips home, the governing party is now spewing promises that everyone knows are cheaper than Christmas glitter. It's not enough that the other leaders are pushing each other in the public eye like kindergartners, each claiming they are the best and the only salvation of the country. No, that circus isn't enough. I also have to receive a telephone call from my bank, urging me to buy a special insurance. I hate being told what to do, or someone coming up and offering something when I had no intention of asking for anything. Whenever I'm in a store I try to avoid the clerk that comes up and asks if they can help me. If I need help, I'll go ask for it. Until then, don't bother me, l...