CuriousByNature

Sadly, Canada is really on fire this year. Every province and territory has been affected, and I read that the total area burned so far is close to the size of Illinois (150,000 square kilometers).

In most of Canada the winters are very harsh compared to many parts of the USA. But perhaps more than the temperatures, the short hours of daylight north of the 49th parallel can wreak havoc on those with seasonal affective disorder. The west coast is pretty mild, but I remember living there and seeing the entire city of Vancouver paralyzed when two inches of snow would fall. And summers out there can start in May and last through September, so not short at all. But you still have to deal with gloomy rainy skies for days on end during fall, winter and spring, and that can get depressing. That is a good time of year to escape for a couple of weeks now and then - assuming one can afford to travel after paying the ridiculous cost of housing in Greater Vancouver!

Yes, I have waited almost 18 months for a specialist appointment myself, and I know people who have waited almost 2 years for a consult regarding hip surgery. In one case the poor guy was diagnosed with terminal and aggressive pancreatic cancer after waiting a year to see the hip surgeon, and he was taken off the wait list because he wouldn't live long enough to have the hip surgery itself. Others have died after waiting 20+ hours to see a doctor in hospital ERs, and I know of at least one person who had a suspected stroke in a care facility and waited several hours at the ER before being seen. This is why numerous people from Canada go to other countries for elective treatment in Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America. Any attempts at providing alternatives for those with the means to pay privately here in Canada are almost always quashed, because there is nothing holier in Canada than universal health care, even if that means universal suffering with wait times and inefficiencies. If you have decent health insurance and live in the USA, I think you are far better off than many Canadians - and particularly those with complex care needs.

Here in Canada our medical system is in a sorry state. While we don't face financial ruin if we become ill, it's nearly impossible to find a family doctor or GP, let alone get regular physical exams that are anything but superficial. In my case I was very lucky. But first I had to broaden my horizons with respect to healthcare, which led to me visiting a clinic down the street from me. The doctor is competent and friendly and even rubs my head playfully when I walk in. And the big bonus is the new flea collar I'm given after each visit.

I know it has been mentioned frequently in other threads, and this comment is not to refute or challenge your post/opinion in any way, but there is a risk in assuming that a provider's written status is accurate. But I get your point

Most likely

Exactly - age is in the mindset, not the label.

Any time that heavy rain is forecast in Vancouver, my aunt calls and tells me they're expecting an 'atmospheric river'. When I was a kid, we had light rain, moderate rain, and heavy rain. The media likes to make things much more dramatic, and I'm waiting for the day that she calls and tells me that a 'climate tsunami' is on its way. She also calls any two days in a row with temps above 25C (78F) a 'heat dome'... lol.

In Canada, 65 is when the majority of people start to collect their 'old age' pensions, and I think traditionally 65 was considered 'elderly'. And for a long time there wasn't much of a stigma attached to it. Now it seems nobody wants to be considered elderly, as if it's a bad thing - it doesn't have to have a negative connotation attached. I would be happy to be considered elderly at 65, as long as I am a healthy and active elderly person. Ultimately it's just a word, and people give it the weight they want to according to their own feelings and biases. I read somewhere that 65 is being called 'late-middle age', which kind of made me laugh. 70 was pre-senior, 75 was senior, 80 was late senior, 85 was pre-elderly, 90 was elderly, and 95+ was late elderly. LOL. Its just a bunch of words to help us all deny the fact that we age... though sadly, some never get that chance, and knowing this has helped me be thankful for each additional year.

As someone who can be very directionally challenged (I have sometimes been unable to find my car in an almost empty parking lot), I know first hand that people can get lost or misguided. For that reason I try to give myself an extra 15 minutes anytime I am going somewhere unfamiliar, and prior to GPS, I would try to drive there a day or two ahead of time to check the route and make sure I could find the place on the appropriate day. Even those of us who have issues with getting lost have little excuse to do so if we take other people's time seriously, and take the onus to be on time.

So just like J.S. Bach, your personal experience is that Jesu is the joy of man's desiring?

Much less expensive than finding someone on RM to handle your package

How on earth are you able to come to that conclusion?

Cancer truly sucks, and I am very sorry that you are having to go through this. For what it's worth, you're in my prayers for a complete remission. Nothing is impossible, despite what the PET scans indicate.

It seem like she is used and taken advantage of by almost everyone who should be protecting her. Very sad.

How do you make that? Sounds awesome...

And there are some contributors who are excellent writers.

I wonder if it also has to do with a lack of exposure to different cultures, identities and perspectives when living in rural places? Cities are generally cosmopolitan and diverse, and even those folk who may not be as educated as others will still meet people every day from many walks of life if they are living in a city environment. While there are certainly bigots and ignorant people in every city who may never change their views, becoming more familiar with those who are different than ourselves can facilitate greater respect for others.

Thanks for asking. I thought FOMO was a massage technique, maybe like Nuru... 🤣

A Vanderbilt? But of course, not Anderson Cooper... lol

Me as well. Even though I am now 49 people often mistake me for 48.

It is a very sad story. I have known people in their 60s who should have given up their licenses because they could no longer drive safely in my opinion. And some in there 90s who still drove amazingly well. Perhaps drivers over 75 or 80 years of age should be required to have an assessment every 6 months by their doctor, since health conditions can deteriorate rapidly and a person may not even be aware of their own decline. I once knew a person in their 80s who had developed pretty poor vision, and it was a requirement on her licence that she wear corrective lenses when driving. However, she refused to wear her distance glasses because she thought they made her look too old. After several fender-benders that were all her fault, she voluntarily gave up her license rather than wear her glasses. A case of vanity triumphing over common sense.

It seems to be almost the opposite here in Canada. Up here I have found that much of the country is relatively liberal, but almost everywhere you can find small pockets of conservative and even ultra-conservative. Except in my experience, Alberta is quite a bit more conservative generally speaking, and the liberal population there is much the way you have described the southern US - pockets here and there. Though the city of Calgary is more of a liberal oasis. I haven't travelled extensively through the southern US, but I have enjoyed New Orleans each time I have been. And I never really felt unsafe, but then again, I don't go wandering about at night and I often stick to the more touristy areas.

It could mean that he won't melt if you throw a bucket of water on him.