Coincidence?

ITEM: The New York City subway system suffered an atrocious commute today, with some trains being inexplicably stranded in stations for long periods of time.

ITEM: The website “The Dissolve” folded today.

ITEM: United Airlines was forced to ground all of its flights after its computer system mysteriously stopped working.

ITEM: The New York Stock Exchange suspended trading today after its computerized trading system mysteriously stopped working.

ITEM: Immediately after, the Wall Street Journal’s website mysteriously stopped working.

ITEM: More than 2,500 people in Washington, DC mysteriously lost power.

Hm-mmm

Perhaps a test run by the Chinese hackers to see just how much panic and damage it would cause/

A wake-up call for our cyber-security people to take this problem seriously?

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During all this, the financial-economical systems in China and Greece or not only in the toilet, but the flush handle is about to be pushed.  

Now that our government is about to downsize our military and our military's budget, the soon to be top guy in the War Department stated today, "Our biggest threats come from Russia, China, North Korea and ISIS."

Two Russian bombers flew into USA air space, over the past weekend.  Our allies no longer respect us and our enemies no longer fear us.

If we ordinary citizens think none of this will affect us--we aren't paying very close attention.

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I had a wonderful thing happen to me this morning.  Something that directly affects me at this time--I got a call from a lady at the hospital who has  been working with my welfare case worker.  She told me that my hospital bill ($675.00), my ambulance bill ($219.00) and my attending doctor bill ($238.00) were all being paid from the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital's McCauly Fund for low income people.

Both of these ladies are so very sweet to me when I talk to them on the phone.  They don't act like they are over worked or rushed, but I know they both are.  There is no note of condemnation in their voices that I am on welfare.  In fact today, the lady from the McCauly Fund said, "I have talked to Karen, your case worker a few times.  We want to make this happen for you because you are a nice person.  You don't try to defraud, like some people do.  It is not any of your fault that you find yourself in this position.  We see quite a few women your age.  You stayed home to raise your children and didn't have a career in the workforce and receive no retirement pension.  You are divorced and receive no pension or help from your ex husband.  We are here to help keep you going."

I wept.  I thanked her profusely.  After she hung up, I laid my forehead on the desk and I thanked God. This afternoon, I made two thank-you cards which I will mail to each of these ladies.

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At 11:30, I drove up the short distance to Gleaner's Food Bank.  There wasn't too much, but I found two ears of kind of dried up Sweet Corn--10 minutes in a steam bath and it should be tender enough to eat for supper.  I found a bag of cut up salad greens and a bag of chicken, washed it, drained it and a cucumber sliced in it with some Catalina dressing and that was my very, tasty lunch.  I also found a small chuck roast, some potatoes, carrots and onion which I will cook in my Crock-Pot.  I found a half-gallon of milk, some Croissants, which I use for my sandwiches, a dozen eggs, Grape Jelly & Peanut butter (we are allowed one of each) 1# sugar, jug of detergent and package of bathroom tissue and some Lady Fingers that I can put raspberry jam on for a nice dessert.

Outside I found the young man and his two small children, who were ahead of me in line, and I gave him my bathroom tissue, sugar and the grape jelly and peanut butter.

Pay it forward in whatever way I can.

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