When you turn 50 that sets you up for a series of tests to see how unhealthy you are becoming.  So far I’ve had my annual physical…resting heart seems to be fine.  Waiting on the blood tests.  Mammogram fine.  Bone density…not so good.  Some calcium deterioration.  It’s called “osteopenia”.  Fun.  Still have the stress test, the sleep disorder test, the dermatogist (checks for skin cancer and other scary results of tanning with reflectors and baby oil in the 70’s). 

And today was the pre-exam for the best 50-year present of all…the colonoscopy.  Great doc…explained the procedure, the pros and cons of sedation vs. anasthetic.  I was satisfied and good to go.  Set up my appointment and then was sent to the “window”.  This is the accounting window, where the accountant advises you of what is and isn’t covered for this procedure in your health care plan.  I’m a self-employed, hard working, butt-kicking small business owner and as such have to settle for a pretty bare bones, high deductible plan.  But imagine how my colon reacted when the accountant told me I’d have a $500 (FIVE HUNDRED dollar) co-pay on top of the 40% I have to pay for the procedure.  We are talking $900-$1000 for the privilege of having a tiny camera travel where the sun don’t shine. 

Here’s the deal.  I don’t have a cool $1000 sitting around in this economy just waiting to be spent on those inner reaches.  Thankfully I was able to pull myself up off the floor and get myself out to the car without the aid of a walker, wheelchair or attendants.  I’m pretty sure I didn’t have a stroke.  But if I HAD a stroke, I’d be paying about $7500 out of pocket for my first 4 days in the hospital.

And I thought today was going to be a better day?  Hahaha.  Crikeys, people.  Who can afford health care the way it is?  Only those with secure jobs in medium size businesses.  How many of YOU does that make?  I’m not sure if I’m more on the side of livid or more on the side of just plain stunned.  We don’t just need health care reform, but there are a heck of a lot of 50-year olds who aren’t going to be having pre-cancerous pollops identified this year with the current insurance programs in place.  Maybe I would have to wait a year in Canada to have my colonoscopy…but I sure wouldn’t be paying $1K for that kick in the butt.

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I usually have a great day.  Every morning I get up with sunshine in my heart (because I’m an unfailing optimist — really tough to be around at 6 am if you typically need a coffee to wake up) and enthusiasm for the day ahead.  Granted, it has been a bit challenging getting back to my rhythm after a week in Montreal visiting family and friends.  Really tough to get through breakfast when I’m longing for a Montreal chocolate croissant or a fresh bagel with chopped egg.  But, you know, you move on and get back in the rhythm.   A typical LA gal at this point, I tend to have an overscheduled day and often forget to factor in LA traffic. 

Anyway, by about 1 pm, the day just fell apart.  Not important to get into the details, but there was a definite spiral and it went down, down and down.  Yes, there was traffic involved.  Lots of it.  Drama involved.  Yup.  Lots of it.  By the end of the day, I was hopelessly behind and extremely unhappy about the events that were unraveling around me.  (Do you remember those planetary systems we had in grade school?  Well, I was kind of like the moon revolving around earth trying to get a grasp of the sun…kinda sorta.) 

At 8:30 PM, I’m in a slow recovery.  Or at least the downward spiral has stopped.  I know, with the certainty of having woken up with a smile for the past 50 years, that I’ll wake up with my optimistic spirit restored.  But cripes…for tonight…I really hope I can be asleep by the count of 20.  Vent over.

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When you have lost your job (the unemployment figures coming out this Friday aren’t going to have anyone smiling), and your unemployment benefits are running out, or have already run out, when your safety net has just too many holes in it…face it.  Your back is against the wall and you are either going to sink or swim.    One of the bigger challenges in a prolonged recession (and we know that the damage is going to take a long time to undo) is that we, as a population, become risk-adverse.  There is really no credit to count on in terms of starting up a small business and family and friends are likely as hard-pressed for their nickels and dimes. 

When really faced with a sink-or-swim situation, the beauty of the human spirit, is that we tend to swim and it doesn’t matter if we can do a gorgeous freestyle, or a travelling dead man’s float.  Whatever it takes not to drown.  A couple of years ago I put together a really great, very inexpensive, little e-book which is available for download through the Gen Plus shop.  It is all about really reaching inside yourself and figuring out a strategic plan for moving forward, using tools that businesses use to create their own strategic plans.  When I put it together, it was specifically for the Boomer and 50 Plusser seeing the writing on the wall.  The wall has been written on and the damage to the economy has really crossed all age barriers. 

I’ve done contests in the past to award this e-book to someone who could use it.  So I’m doing it again.  Tell me what you might do if you thought you could risk it and if you could figure out a way to take the first steps toward getting there.  I’ll pick a few of you and send you the e-book at no charge.    Just my way of paying it forward.  Put your entries into the comments, or if you want to keep it between us, send me an email at wspiegel@genplususa.com

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An old (well…longtime) high school friend noted on his Facebook that he was selling off his Get Smart collectibles.  Of course, that sent me on a frenzied google and bing search for Get Smart collectibles.  Here’s the site:  http://www.wouldyoubelieve.com/collect.html  The prices some of these items can fetch is worthy of note…but the chuckles you’ll get when you see the toys we bought, and the memories of that wonderful show?  Priceless.

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Last week I sent out a teaser about a webinar that was going to be streaming all day November 4 & 5th…focusing on the ins and outs of social media.  Sorry to say, the broadcast has been postponed due to some technical difficulties.  I’ll be getting the new dates today or tomorrow and will let you know as soon as I do.  It’s an exciting webinar, because I give you snapshots of Web 2.0 and the wonderful applications you can use to broaden (or create) your online footprint.  From LinkedIn, to Facebook, to Twitter and blogging — a great intro to how to capitalize on the web. 

For the past few years, I’ve been focusing my consulting practice on where there is greatest social media marketing need – helping individuals and businesses grab their bit of space and reach on the web — so over the next few months, not only will I be giving you links to various webinars, but also to a series of YouTube mini-casts, introducing you to each of the different components of social media (kind of like a Cole’s notes for Web 2.0).   Stay tuned.

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