An Open Letter to Bill Moyers

Greetings and salutations,

To give context to my letter, the weather of Portland is still fending off its morning grey, yet come afternoon, the warmth of sun will delightfully heat the sidewalks, giving bounce to my step. The wetness of wintertime is quickly dissolving into dry heat of summer.

I write to you in this flux of seasonal change to ask for advice, so that I may also change the present state of affairs for health care.

Your thoughtfulness in all aspects of media and public media are admirable; a quality that remains deeply aware of the benevolence necessary for communication and that any abuse in this communication will lead to undue suffering. I would like to see a similar quality within the realm of health care, utilizing the more sustainable options that are available.

I originally hail from the southeasterly aspects of the United States, but admittedly, I have more than enough gypsy blood than Steinbeck during his Travels with Charley days and have called several regions of our country my home. I have even traversed the globe, tasting the flavors of Eastern and Western thought, dining in conversations that have helped to shape the character of who I am today. I have had unique opportunities to explore our global landscape and the myriad of cultural confections that attempt to make sense out of these corresponding surroundings. As of late, as you can easily connect, I now call the Northwest my home.

So where does this fit in accord with who you are and what you do? From a general perspective: you and I utilize the communication spectrum. Your voice is heard by millions through informative books, articles, public broadcasting endeavors, diplomatic positions, all connecting people with a common altruistic goal of understanding our world more clearly. My voice uses the specific medium of health care and is capable of connecting others to themselves and to one another within the community. I feel passionately about the more ancient forms of healing, those that date back thousands of years; those that rely on methods that employ the body’s innate ability to heal itself; and those that employ the artfulness of sustainable methodology.

To be honest, I’m not entirely sure of the format for my plea for assistance. I am simply an individual that knows health care can be different; much different than our contemporary makeshift system. I have a double degree in Biology and Psychology from the University of Georgia, where I emphasized the interrelatedness between body and mind, specifically with the use of pharmacological agents.

I understood the system all to well; seeing the holes in this approach, in addition to the ever-present side effects. I know that I am not the only one who knows of the more sustainable forms of health care, I also know that there are not enough selfless choices in our current health care system; treatment plans and patient management are not being created in a thoughtful manner for mainstream health care. Disease is essentially a dis-ease, where the body is out of harmony in some form, unable to adapt to the present set of circumstances… sigh.

I realize that my heart is getting the best of me, so I shall stop here. Sometimes I laugh at the absurdity of which man tries to control nature, especially within the checks and balances of health, when in essence it’s about BALANCE.

Thank you, oh, so much for your time Mr. Moyer; as a huge fan, I am humbled by the fact that you might be reading these random thoughts of mine. To have a forum with you, regardless of the format, well, makes me feel sparkly.

Have a fantastic day, may the weather shine on you way over in Eastcoast-landia. I appreciate all that you have done, and I venture to say, all that you will ever do in your lifetime. You are truly remarkable; you have created such a masterpiece out of life.

Smiles, thank you for all that you do,

C. Biscuit