January 28, 2006
Overheard at Starbucks
"My future comes down to this: will I get sick and die before I'm bankrupt and homeless, or will I be bankrupt and homeless before I get sick and die."
---"No social capital? You haven't been putting the years in with a significant other, building your nest egg, together insuring your futures?"
"We're already in debt for medical procedures not covered by insurance and I'm the healthier one. A few more stays in the hospital and..."
---"It's possible you could go broke and be homeless because of events that have nothing to do with health; years before either of you again need to be hospitalized. More to the point homelessness is not an automatic death sentence. You both can be healthy and homeless then sick and homeless years before you die."
"Thanks, I didn't see homelessness and untreatable illness as distinct phases of life."
---"Don't forget jail or prison which can mess with anyone's life-plans and a real possibility for people like you unfamiliar with the homeless lifestyle. ...But there's always suicide. The free-market's freeist exit. And if you're living in your car, there's the option of taking others with you when you choose to go."
"You've given this some thought."
---"I believe personal responsibility is not just a phrase rich people use to explain their wealth. Everyone must take personal responsibiity for their fiscal health."