Circle Time

Some time ago my friend Allan‘s truck got stolen. Allan worked as an electrician but he was really a musician. He wanted to play music all the time and resented everything that kept him from it, like work. He needed the old pick-up truck for work and play, to carry his bass and his tools. The police called when they found the truck, the thieves left some women’s lingerie, an empty Whisky Bottle and two packages of condoms in the cab. Allan said the most troubling part about the crime was that the thieves had had more fun in his truck in two weeks than he had in two years. Allan had a sense of cosmic harmony, karma and all that.

Allan and I grew up in Berkeley so we had lots of exposure to all manner of enlightenment and spirituality. I guess I’m less fertile soil, than my friend. When I started looking for schools for my little McNuggets (Blot and Og are 3 and 4 years old). I discovered hippie practices have been integrated into the Montessori curriculum, circle time. The whole school does sort of a feel good group hug and sing along. Cum ba ya, it its like the seventies without the pot.

Highland needs a big circle time. Trust has decayed, and blame and paranoia have taken root. Consultants have perfected the fine art of hiding; the only indication we now have that they exist is the unwanted appearance of time clocks replacing pay phones on nursing floors. They bear an unfortunate likeness to ATMs and patients have already been sighted trying to pry cash out of them.

I hate to get “Berkeley” on you, but it’s a crisis of confidence. It’s an opportunity to lead, somebody please take the county healthcare challenge and put forth a plan and a vision, not just another bogus budget.