Document text
I work the front desk at a small doctor’s office, and I wish people could see what happens on the other side of the phone.Every day, older patients call us confused.They are told to use the patient portal, upload documents, check lab results online, fill out forms before the visit, and confirm everything through a link.Some of them do not know what a portal is.Some do not have a smartphone.Some have one, but they are afraid to click the wrong thing.Last week, a man in his late 80s called about his test results.He said, “Ma’am, I don’t mean to bother you, but the computer says I have a message and I don’t know how to open it.”He sounded ashamed.That broke my heart.He should not have to feel ashamed for needing a human being.Technology can be helpful. I understand that.But when people who built this country are made to feel helpless because everything became a login and a password, we have gone too far.Not everything needs to be an app.Not every answer should be hidden behind a screen.~UnknownCaption this:And to be clear, when Joe Rogan hostedFear Factor, eating live insects was considered disgusting television. Amazing how quickly some ideas get rebranded.But seriously, remember when eating insects was the punchline to a reality show challenge? Then somewhere along the way, it became a serious proposal. The global elite assured us that crickets were the future, climate change demanded dietary sacrifice, and progressive activists enthusiastically explained that our reluctance was merely cultural conditioning.Curiously, the people delivering the lectures never seemed to be replacing their filet mignon with mealworms. These days, the great insect revolution appears to have quietly fluttered off into the sunset, joining the long list of fashionable ideas that generated plenty of headlines, conferences, gullible investors, and PowerPoint presentations, but remarkably little public appetite.ShareMalone News is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.We are in the midst of a heatwave here - temps in the 100s all week.So staying cool, taking care of the animals, hanging with friends and doing farm chores carefully is the order of the day(s).Have a great 4th folks!JGM