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When it’s Life and Death, What are a Few Mixed Metaphors?

Steve Russell
6 min readJun 27, 2020

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S.S. Atlantic Goes Down with Cargo of Health Insurance Policies. Illustration from Public Domain Pictures.

There was a number for which I was watching even though I knew I could look it up if I had the time.

I was not using the TV out of laziness, but rather because my memoir finally published on June 18 and there are tasks associated with publication to ease the way for buyers. I have to assume somebody is going to buy it, unlikely as that is. This is why I did not look up the number but kept the TV on a news channel and glanced up at the chyron when I could. Mid-morning, the number finally moved past in a headline:

Half a Million with More to Come.

That’s how many people who had, as of yesterday morning, Obamacare to replace employer health insurance washed upon the medical services shores like surprised Robinson Crusoes. Very surprised. At least Crusoe knew he was on the ocean and so, however unlikely the misfortune might be, he could become a castaway. One of the most remarkable things about the delivery of medical services in the U.S. is the only place to hide is fantastic wealth. Anybody without that safety net is one black swan event from being left naked. In this case, the unfortunate souls were suddenly naked because of job losses driven by coronavirus.

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Steve Russell
Steve Russell

Written by Steve Russell

Enrolled Cherokee, 9th grade dropout, retired judge, associate professor emeritus, and (so far) cancer survivor. Memoir: Lighting the Fire (Miniver Press 2020)

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