Mencken on Money and Meds

     Money is at least fifty times as valuable to a sick man as to a well man.  This is not because the rich patient gets better medication than the poor man;  in many cases, in fact, he gets worse.  His advantage lies in the fact that he can be more comfortable when laid up, and has nothing save his actual illness to worry him.  (Minority Report: H. L. Mencken's Notebooks, 1956)


     This observation is especially a propos at a time like this when working people are being urged to stay home if they show any signs of impending swine flu such as sniffles, coughs, headaches and what have you that in normal times they would ignore.  But for many folks who don't get paid if they don't work, staying home is not an option and they must live with whatever guilt feelings they might have about exposing their co-workers to possible harm.  How nice it would be to be rich and able to indulge oneself in illness whenever one chooses without worrying about where the next car payment will come from.  Uncle Jack knows what this might be like, not because he is rich but because he is retired and he doesn't have to go to work at all, sick or well.   There is much to be said for retirement as long as you don't run out of moncy.

                                                                    Mencken at work.