Diary of an Optimist

“I know God won't give me anything I can't handle. I just wish he didn't trust me so much.”- Mother Teresa

Ok, I'll admit it. I'm a diehard optimist.

Sure - I have my moments where I think my world is falling apart; when I start to fear the future; when I get afraid that I, or God-forbid, someone I love deeply, will get sick or have some medical condition that will forever change them. But then I look back at my life and realize that everything always works out for the better.

When I was 13 years old, I was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a cancer that is rarely found in children (At the time, I was one of only 25 children in the country with the disease).

When I was 21 years old, doctors found a very rare heart condition known as Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (WPW). The doctors deemed my diagnosis to be a "special case" because only a very small percentage of people with this rare condition develop symptoms at such a young age.  

And now, at 23 years old, I found myself back in the operating room after doctors discovered that my WPW resurfaced - a recurrence of the disease after treatment occurs in less than 1% of patients.

In each of these situations, whether it was with my diagnosis or with the surgeries that proceeded, I was that rare anomaly you hear about in the brochures: I was that "less than 1% of patients"; I was that medical liability.

But I continue to stay positive and optimistic. Not in spite of my previous medical conditions, but more so because of them.

Throughout my short time here, I have experienced and learned a great deal. Enough for a lifetime. 

I've learned to be thankful and appreciative for everything I've been blessed with, because it can all so quickly be taken away.       

I look at one of our close relatives who has Parkinson's Disease. For him, the very act of getting out of bed is troublesome; walking is nearly impossible; even lifting a spoon of food from the plate to his mouth becomes a workout.

So, yes:

PERSPECTIVE.

I've learned that people are more important than things, because nothing in life is guaranteed with the exception of the love from your family and friends.

I recently lost my uncle, a father-like figure in my life, to pancreatic cancer. Things were bad. His health was rapidly deteriorating. Doctors gave him only a few weeks to live.

For those last few weeks, my family and I were constantly visiting him in the hospital, spending endless nights scavenging to find sleeping space in waiting rooms. Each time I walked over to his room, I passed by another patient with a similar condition. Yet, in the three weeks my uncle was in the hospital, not once did I see a single visitor in the other patient's room. Not once.

We were not visiting him because we "had" to. Never once did my uncle ever ask us to do anything for him. We were there because we wanted to be. Because we truly loved him. 

And THAT was always a guarantee.

I've learned not to compare my life, struggles and all, to anyone, because as easy as it is to find someone who's doing better, it's even easier to find people who are doing far worse. 

During my first chemotherapy session, I remember feeling really down about myself and the situation I was in. I thought about the other kids my age, as well as my friends and classmates. "Why can't I be like them? Why do I have to go through all this. It's not fair." But as soon as I turned my head and looked around the hospital room, I saw nine other children, younger than I, undergoing harsher treatments for longer periods of time. Then it hit me. 

"Wow, I am the luckiest kid in this hospital."

I've learned that the best way to help myself is to help others. 

I remember a doctor once came into our chemo room (or as it was ecstatically referred to by us patients as our "kicking butt center") dressed as a clown. He went around to each of our beds, made some jokes, and performed some small magic tricks. And that's precisely the moment I fell in love with the art. 

With magic, the impossible becomes possible. I saw things that I didn't understand or know why or how it happened (just like my cancer), but I knew that there was some reason behind it all. But if magic could provide me, a kid who was deemed "the lucky one" by my nurses, that sense of hope and inspiration, then it should also be able to help others. So I perform charity magic shows, share my story, and try to give back every second I can.   

Because no one in this life should get a free ride. If I'm lucky enough to have blessings, I have an obligation to pay it forward.  Besides, when things get rough, I know I need others to help me out. If this past week has reaffirmed anything, it's that life is much more difficult, near impossible, without the help of others. So I should, at least, better my karma and place a down payment on my future.

I've learned to be thankful for all my struggles, because they always serve as a constant reminder for me to be thankful and appreciative; to live in the moment; to appreciate the big things, but even more so the small things.

As I laid curled up in my parents embrace the night before my most recent surgery, I realized how lucky I am to have the love and support of two of the greatest parents a child could ever have. This week, I realized how fortunate I am to have brothers and sisters that I can call my best friends, and best friends that I can call my brothers and sisters.

Sometimes we take our loved ones for granted. We forget just how great our lives are, and how much there is to appreciate. Thankfully, my experiences have allowed me to constantly reevaluate my life and have the ability to literally count my blessings. 

I've learned that you have to stay positive, because, in the end, that is the ONLY thing we really have any control over (so might as well use it!).

It's not always easy to stay positive. We each have our own struggles, our own battles, and our own unique experiences. But no matter how different mine may appear from yours, we can all learn from one another. 

From me, I hope people can understand that no matter how bad things are, they could always be worse. I think having this perspective can allow you to not only live in the moment and appreciate what you have, but also take on whatever challenges you come across in a much stronger, more positive, and more effective manner.

I'm learning and improving every day. I have traveled a long way thus far, and have a much longer journey ahead. But whenever I start to get overwhelmed, I do what I do best...

I get in my car, roll the windows down, and blast some Disney music. Now THAT is living!

 "For everything this disease has taken, something with greater value has been given - sometimes just a marker that points me in a new direction that I might not otherwise have traveled. So, sure, it may be one step forward and two steps back...but I've learned that what is important is making that one step count." - Michael J. Fox

Implementing Healthcare Reform

I am a cancer survivor, member of an ethnic minority, a recent college graduate, and a first generation American. My parents are small business owners, victims of gun violence, beneficiaries of student loans and unemployment benefits, and have lived through almost every socio-economic sector of our economy. 

We understand the potential this country has to offer. We understand that government can be seen as a partner of business, a promoter of economic growth, and a protector of justice. We understand that regulation is not always bad, and that capitalism can serve to benefit the middle class. We understand that this country needs equality of opportunity, not outcome.

And that is precisely why we are such strong supporters of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare).

As most of the major provisions begin to phase in within the year, it is even more important to understand the law and its significance.

First and foremost, this reform treats healthcare as a business by putting customers first.

One of the biggest problems in our healthcare system was that it forgot about its customers: the patient.

Even though Obamacare helps doctors (which is why organizations like the American Medical Association, the American College of Physicians, and the American College of Surgeons endorse it) and insurance companies (by adding over 30 million new clients to their system), its primary purpose is to help those who need medical care the most and are unable to afford it.

And it does just that:

- 3 million young people under 26 are now able to stay on their parents’ insurance, and an additional 3 million are now able to join their parents’ plans after previously having no insurance

-17 million children with pre-existing conditions now have insurance that couldn’t before

-Prevents insurance companies from dropping coverage (previously over 10,000 people a year had their policies rescinded after getting sick because they reached their lifetime caps)

-About 71 million people now have access to free preventative care, keeping them healthy (which also saves taxpayers in ER costs)  

-Private insurers are required by the law to spend at least 80 percent of their premium revenues on actual healthcare, or must pay a rebate. In 2012, insurers had to pay $1billion in rebates, an average of $150 per family.

After all that is said and done, politics is very personal. And the laws passed by our lawmakers, whether we agree with them or not, affect real people. We must, therefore, take time to learn and understand the laws for what they are, and realize the significance they have in our lives. 

USA before the NRA

“90 percent of Democrats in the Senate just voted for that idea.  But it’s not going to happen because 90 percent of Republicans in the Senate just voted against that idea.”

Yesterday, we saw the true power of special interests in our political system. It was not only disgraceful but, to a greater degree, very discouraging.

Although 90% of Americans support expanded background checks for all gun purchases, the bipartisan measure failed at reaching the 60 votes needed to pass in the United States Senate.

With 50 Democrats and only FOUR Republicans voting in favor of this bipartisan, common sense proposal – drafted by two Senators who both have “A” ratings from the NRA –the bill failed to pass because the power of special interests outweighed the power of millions of American voices.  

As the President mentioned in his statement yesterday, “no single piece of legislation can stop every act of violence and evil...but if action by Congress could have saved one person, one child, a few hundred, a few thousand -- if it could have prevented those people from losing their lives to gun violence in the future while preserving our Second Amendment rights, we had an obligation to try.”

For that reason, despite how discouraging the process may seem, I’m not giving up. In fact, I’m even more inspired and motivated to stay active.

Stay active for all the innocent victims of gun violence. 

Stay active for the victims of Tucson, and Aurora, and Sandy Hook.

Stay active for my parents. 

Because the alternative of doing nothing –of sitting on the sidelines and remaining silent—is far, far worse.

“We will not be defeated.  We are not defeated, and we will not be defeated.  We are here now; we will always be here because we have no other choice.  We are not going away.  And every day, as more people are killed in this country because of gun violence, our determination grows stronger."

Right now, volunteers across the country are joining Organizing for Action (OFA) to contact their members of Congress and make their voices heard. We're going to show the special interests that we will not be silenced, and that the victims of these heinous crimes will be honored. Will you help? 

It Makes No Sense

Maybe it’s because I’m a “crazy liberal”, but I’m having a very difficult time understanding why Republican leaders act the way they do. I’d love to learn why.  

It makes no sense why Republican leaders would support a massive government intrusion on a couple’s decision to get married, even though they are “very strong on liberty and small government.”

It makes no sense why they would favor keeping certain tax cuts and loopholes for the rich if they knew that, in order to expense these benefits, they would either need to A) cut programs – like student loans and unemployment benefits and/or B) raise taxes. It’s simple economics.

It makes no sense why Republican leaders claim that balancing the budget is the key to creating jobs, when the reverse is actually true (take the years during the Clinton Administration, where investments in job creation led to a balanced budget and reduced debt). Why would they argue against government borrowing money to spend on improving the quality of life for its citizens when an average American borrows money all the time to buy a house or a car?

It makes no sense why they would say they’re the biggest proponents of the free market, when they have voted almost 40 times to repeal a set of reforms to our healthcare system (Obamacare) that serves to protect consumers, reduce costs, improve the quality of care, and prevent monopolies in the health insurance industry.

It makes no sense to me why Republican leaders would heavily criticize Obama and the Democrats for “reckless government spending” when most of them argued against ending the Iraq War (which cost taxpayers $3 trillion and 4,500 American lives).

It makes no sense to me why Republicans don’t complain about the rich “mooching” from the government via tax loopholes, but cry foul when a student needs help paying for college, or a cancer patient needs access to affordable healthcare.

We’ve seen the progress that can occur as soon as Republican leaders start listening to their constituents – leaders like Congressman Paul Ryan (who accepted federal stimulus dollars in his district), or Florida Governor Rick Scott (who has stopped withholding Medicare savings from his state via Obamacare).

We can only hope more do the same. But as President Obama recently said during his trip to Israel:

"Speaking as a politician, I can promise you this: political leaders will not take risks if the people do not demand that they do. You must create the change that you want to see." 

The Liberal Test

Are you one of those pesky liberals? Answer these 4 easy questions to find out:

1. Do you believe in the free market?

If you answered yes, you might be a liberal! Prior to Obamacare, health insurance companies locked in consumers while concurrently raising their premiums. Insurance companies did not have to compete for consumer business and, therefore, provided mediocre care. If a consumer wanted to search for a different insurer, they were denied coverage. Furthermore, when the consumer fell ill, they were often denied coverage and dropped from their insurance plans despite having paid for service. 

2. Do you think interracial couples should be allowed to get married?

If you answered yes, you might be a liberal! Until recently, interracial marriage was just as illegal as gay marriage is today in most states. Banning one type of marriage over another is not only hypocritical, but denies individuals of civil rights and Constitutional rights as Americans. This is not about gay rights, but about human rights. Furthermore, government should not “infringe upon our liberties” by dictating who we should and should not love in the privacy of our lives.

3.  Do you think all employees should be free from all forms of discrimination by employers?

If you answered yes, you might be a liberal! Prior to President Obama’s repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, members of the military were discriminated against and discharged from duty if they admitted to being gay. Just as we did not accept the notion of “separate but equal” with our African American brothers and sisters, we should not accept it with our LGBT brothers and sisters.

4. If a large corporation was on the verge of bankruptcy, do you agree that it would take some time and targeted investments to recover? 

If you answered yes, you might be a liberal!  When President Bush left office, our economy went from a $230 billion surplus to a $1.4 trillion deficit. We lost over 750,000 jobs per month. The housing market busted. Financial institutions were out of cash. The U.S. auto-industry was going bankrupt. The nation was in a panic.

Four years later, because of reforms and stimulus passed by President Obama, we have created more net new jobs than President Bush had in the seven years before the crisis. We have almost 3 years of consecutive job growth, added 6 million jobs, reduced unemployment from its peak at 10.2% to 7.7%, strengthened our financial system, stabilized the housing market, and lowered the cost of living – while improving the quality of life – for all Americans.

And for all those Republicans who falsely accuse the President of reckless and excessive government spending, they somehow are ignorant of their very own silence that prevailed when President Bush passed expensive tax cuts for the wealthiest few and engaged in two costly wars.

The problem with the Republican mantra of “smaller government is always better government” is that it disregards the idea that government can actually be seen as a partner and promoter of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”.

Government can strengthen the fundamentals of capitalism by increasing consumer demand, preventing fraud, encouraging fair competition, and freeing up capital to stimulate a weakened market.

Government can be a lender of last resort when no private entities are able or willing to do so. 

Government can promote the safety and well-being of our citizens by outlawing discrimination, enacting regulations that prevent smoking on a plane, inspecting the food we eat and cleaning the air we breathe.

Government can provide education and resources to those in need, while providing incentives and benefits to those more fortunate. 

Government can make necessary investments in the future of our nation, just as a business would to increase its long-term success (even if its investments mean lower short-term profits).

All in all, government’s role is not to punish those who are successful but, rather, to ensure that everyone is given a fair shot and that everyone plays by the same rules.

THAT is the true essence of our democracy.

The Party of Lincoln

In Governor Romney’s interview yesterday, he once again highlighted the major flaw with the Republican Party – the mentality that American society consists of two groups of citizens: the givers and the takers.

We often hear Republican leaders make the claim that there are a group of people who are completely dependent on big government and, consequently, fail to take responsibility for their lives. They take advantage of government services like welfare and healthcare, and continue taking from society without giving back.

But this only proves that the Republican Party is simply blind to the struggles of most Americans. And that’s why they lost this past election in such a huge and devastating way.

They need to understand that, in addition to having the best organized grassroots campaign in history, the primary reason President Obama won by a landslide is because of his persistence to helping the driving force of this economy: the middle and working class.

The middle and working class of this country are the true engine of economic growth. They are the true job creators because they are the ones that end up spending money. They are the ones that create demand for a business’s products. They are the ones that use the services a company provides. When they prosper, as evidenced in the '90s, we all prosper.

The basic, underlining point – one that today’s Republican Party fails to understand – is this: No one in this country is completely self-reliant. Therefore, we need to government to ensure equality of opportunity (not outcome). 

And that’s exactly what President Obama proposed in his deficit-reduction plan.

In 2011, the President went farther than the political middle  by compromising into law targeted spending cuts that amounted to $2 trillion  (via entitlement savings in Healthcare, Medicare, and Student Loans) without including any revenue increases in order to win Republican support.

But as every economist understands, you need a balanced approach of both spending cuts AND revenue increases to spur economic growth.

Last week, however, when it came time for Republicans to hold up on their end of the deal, they refused to increase revenues from the wealthiest few.

These individuals (the “givers”), Republicans claim, should not be forced to pay their fair share, even if that comes at the expense of programs that serve to benefit the middle and working class (the “takers”).

This is unacceptable.

When a business chooses to invest in a new machine, pay its employees higher wages, or purchase more merchandise, everyone understands that – even if these choices result in lower short-term profits – the long-term success of the company is dependent on such decisions.

In the same way, our government cannot cut our way to prosperity.  

My mother came to America when she was 18. She worked a full-time job at a nursing home for minimum wage ($3.25 an hour) while enrolled full-time at a community college. To help pay for her education, she also took student loans. After graduating, she got married to my dad and found work for a meager salary of $20,000 a year. While I was born and my father continued struggling to find work, my mother became the head breadwinner of our family. She also needed to take advantage of certain tax breaks aimed at working families, such as the earned income tax credit and the child tax credit. After seven years of working hard, however, her company laid her off because of downsizing. She then had to survive off unemployment benefits for 6 months as she had her second child, my younger sister. 

Today my parents are both successful small business owners. They are the “job creators” who “built that”. But they understand that they needed “big government” every step of the way.

The sooner Republican leaders understand this, the sooner they will return to “The Party of Lincoln.”

Fighting the Same Fights

This Friday, a series of harmful, across-the-board cuts (known as the sequester) are scheduled to take place unless Congress takes action.  

Although the President has offered a balanced approach to solving our nation’s economic problems –one that includes a combination of spending cuts AND revenue increases – Republican leaders are continuing their refusal to compromise, even if it sends our nation into default.

But if history tells us anything, it’s that we cannot cut our way to prosperity. After all, as we learned in the 1990s, nothing grows the economy faster than a strong middle-class.

When the middle-class goes, so goes the nation.   

We need to stop fighting the same battles and ask Republican leaders to start putting the nation ahead of politics.  How? By quickly accepting programs that work, regardless of which party proposed it.

EX #1) Stimulus: Although Republicans are vehemently opposed to any increase in government spending, almost all House members (including “budget-aficionado” Congressman Paul Ryan) begged for federal stimulus dollars in their states after learning how important they were to stimulate weak economies.  

EX #2) Obamacare: Although Republicans voted over 30 times to repeal the law and campaigned vigorously against it, many (including Florida Governor Rick Scott and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie) are reversing their oppositions after realizing how important the law is to curb healthcare costs.

EX #3) Reducing our Deficit: Time and time again, the President has proven his ability to compromise, sometimes even angering some in his own base. When he argued for a Stimulus –which Republicans have traditionally agreed to – they all voted against it. When he argued for the Individual Mandate in Healthcare –which was a Republican idea in the first place – they all voted against it. And when he tries to reduce our deficit in a responsible manner, Republicans signed a tax pledge that benefited only the wealthiest few.

The President has already made important and targeted spending cuts via entitlement savings in Healthcare, Medicare, and Student Loans (which the CBO estimates will reduce spending over $2 trillion over 10 years).

The President has already passed the largest tax cuts in history with the American Recovery and Investment Act (ie. the first stimulus). And unlike the Bush-era tax cuts that benefited the wealthiest few, the Obama tax cuts were successfully targeted at working and middle-class families. Furthermore, he passed the payroll tax cuts that put an additional $1000 in the pockets of middle-class families, extended unemployment benefits to those who need assistance, and lowered the costs of living for all Americans by saving the U.S. Auto-Industry and passing Wall Street reform, Student Loan reform, and Healthcare reform.

All he is asking for, in return, is to close tax loopholes that grant breaks to the wealthiest individuals, especially when these breaks come at the expense of the middle-class.

"If Congress allows this meat cleaver approach to take place, it will jeopardize our military readiness, it will eviscerate job-creating investments in education and energy and medical research. It won't consider whether we're cutting some bloated program that has outlived its usefulness or a vital service that Americans depend on every single day,” (President Obama).

Call your representatives TODAY and tell House Republicans to take action.