Convergence

So far, there have been two medical, one optical, and ten dental (six fillings and two extractions) appointments at the Waikiki Health Center Makahiki Clinic. And this is only the beginning of September. There are three more medical, one optical, and one dental appointments remaining for the year. Two of the medical appointments are just for the new shingles vaccine and booster. The total is eighteen appointments for the 2019 year, a world record!

As the age of 65 years nears, there is a great convergence taking place. The fate of Medicare and Medicaid/Quest will soon be revealed. The amount of money disbursed as premiums is yet to be determined, all of it a nauseating reminder of geriatrics and mortality. The next optical appointment will determine whether macular degeneration is a confirmed diagnosis, and if blindness will occur in ten years.

Add into the mix the rapid physical and mental decline of moms and the “big picture” becomes diffuse as well as surreal. The “incongruence” grows to unfathomable proportions. Reality becomes more like a quantum physics oddity. The mental state increases in fragility. The mind prepares to snap.

Convergence 2019 is not an anticipated milestone. Rather, it signals the beginning of the end. That is exactly why every other aspect of life has been effectively “put on hold.” Other pedestrian issues can only be confronted once the narrow pathway to the future is established.

Addendum: There may be one or two appointments at a dermatology clinic before the year is over.