At Least Visit and Look Around

Today I got my booster shot.  My second shot was back on July 15th; for this one I was good to go just before Christmas, but as I am housebound most of the time, I waited until I could make an appointment with the nearby Safeway.  By my count, I left my home just six times in January: twice to the dentist, once to an electronics store and three times to shop for groceries.  This doesn't count taking the garbage out to the alley.

Getting the shot consists of making an appointment with any pharmacy of one's choosing.  ANY.  This takes about 5 minutes.  Then, arriving 5 minutes before the appointment.  Then, filling out about 2 minutes of paperwork: name, phone, health care number, someone to contact in case something goes wrong, checkboxes for possible complications, sign name.

The shot itself takes two minutes as the nurse goes over the checkboxes again.  It's friendly.  Not businesslike at all, and not pressured for time.  Others are waiting, but everyone is scheduled for five minute increments.  They want to know anything that might matter for the pandemic, so they ask if the job puts us in risk of associating with others who might have covid, are we self-confining, etcetera.  The shot takes 90 seconds and all is done.  There's no cost.  It's Canada's health care system.  There's never any cost.

I had just enough time to mention that my friend in America is certain that free healthcare will go belly up before 2040.  Much jocularity ensued, from the nurse, from the other two nearby pharmacy staffmembers, from the next patient.  We've heard it before.  Most of the joking is very sarcastic.  Most Canadian humour is either sarcastic or very, very dry.

Favourite Canadian joke?  How do you get forty Canadians out of a swimming pool?

You say, "Could everyone please get out of the swimming pool."

Americans don't get this joke.  Canadians usually laugh.  The joke is based on the simple fact that you don't have to be an authority to do the asking.  You could do it, I could do it.  They'll shrug, assume there's a good reason, and get out.

It's the way we are.

I feel very badly that Americans don't have a free healthcare system.  Most Canadians do.  I'm equally sure that most Norwegians, Danes, Finns, South Koreans, Germans and Cubans feel badly also.  I don't know how Americans put up with it.  All I can say is, if you want to live longer, and you have practical skills, move to Canada.  Do it because you'll live longer here.  You'll have more money in your pocket.  In general, you'll feel better about the government you live under.

But don't tell me what I have is going to go away because, oh, someone says it will.  Or because the Brits haven't got their system built better.  Or some crap about wait times.  Between Tamara and I, with her being an American and coming close to losing her sight two years ago, we've been to hospitals and clinics about 40 times.  She's had 4 operations, all for her eyes.  Longest wait we've had has been 5 hours.  Most waits are between 90 and 120 minutes.  We have paid zero money.  Judging from the American system, a five hour wait in Canada means I'm saving something like $800 an hour.

Thank you.  I'm happy to wait.  The chairs are comfortable, I can watch a movie or two on my phone, the staff bends over backwards to help and no one ever denies a treatment, an x-ray or a cat-scan because it's too expensive.  I had a cat-scan for my infected finger, two years ago, to look into the bone.  Spent 20 minutes in the most uncomfortable position imaginable.  Was free.

Got skills?  Come to Canada.  We've got room.  There's jobs here.  We like people with skills.

If you don't have skills, go get some.  We'll still be here.