Wellness and wealth

So I just did the math. 

Take my once a month pay me back my Social security check and divide it by three. One third goes to my housing; that would include utilities, water etc. 

Next, are my fixed charges each month. Live streaming services. Donations I make regularly.

Next comes my wellness tools. I have been delighted to share-- anywhere people would listen-- how I have figured out dietary behavior changes and regular tools to keep myself well:

A healthy diet, featuring fresh fruits vegetables, low in carbs, good clean locally sourced meats and dairy products

Regular walking.

The treat of a traditional Chinese medicine session once a month.

A professional massage once every two weeks.

A sauna and a soak on the alternative weeks when I don't have a massage.

A range of dietary supplements and herbs that have been keeping my blood pressure well within the normal range.

There's just one problem with those Wellness tools. They currently cost me a full third of my monthly income. That fact hit me hard. In order to take care of myself in a way that is sensible and not obnoxiously selfish, I need to mobilize a third of the income that I have at present, each and every month.

I did the math, and I was floored. Somehow, the extent to which health and wealth in America are entangled had not quite settled on me. I knew all about food deserts. But the way all of those "hands on" preventative tools from massage through the dietary supplements just aren't covered under my monthly mandatory health insurance policy known as MEDICARE just settled on me today. And it feels like that greasy layer of sweaty grit you get after a summer day in a smoggy city.

The one you don't notice until you have a chance to shower it off.

So I'll keep this short, and go right away to shower off my prickly righteous indignation over a broken system.

There's only so many ways I can say it, without sounding like a broken record.