I’m not getting all this fuss to stop a sugar tax that we all know is a good idea. Mayor Nutter’s proposal to tax sweet drinks is a progressive response to both a fiscal and a health problem. I understand the jobs issue is a concern, but people will continue to want their sugar fix. Manufacturers and bottlers are not going out of business anytime soon. Come on… one thing we know from cigarettes is that people will pay for their vices. The bigger issue is that the average consumer is unaware of just how much sugar they are ingesting everyday. In fact, thanks to the “low-fat” craze of the early 90’s, there is a misperception that sugar is okay that fat is not. Not exactly.

In Camden, the great work of the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers has been highlighted in the media for its ability to create cooperatives among the City’s healthcare leaders. One of their many projects concern diabetes and its impact on area residents. The Camden Citywide Diabetes Collaborative aims to improve the coordination of care for persons with diabetes. This includes improving self-care. Self-care includes education and that means reminding people that those sports drinks will not make you an athlete and massive, super-sized sodas is not a bargain in the end. At Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center, where I work, we have been working with Dr. Jeff Brenner on this and other Coalition activities. We helped develop abillboard  (oll216_billboard_lo FINAL)that resided in the heart of Camden, on Federal Street, to bring attention to the issue. The Board, donated by PNC Bank, is just a step. But over here in Philadelphia, where I live, I’m a little disheartened by the reluctance of City Council to champion a cause that will certainly help to relieve the perfect storm of fiscal difficulties our city is facing.

But I also have a selfish reason to support the sweet drink tax. I give you Exhibit A: a typical clean up from the trash that makes its way to my house. Notice the soda bottles, coffee stirrers, cupcake wrappers, etc. I live on the unfortunate side of my block. That is the side that captures all of the trash that blows up on a windy day. I also live on the path between two schools. Exhibit B gives you an idea of what the kids are eating these days. I don’t mind sweeping my pavement, but it is depressing to see the amount of trash kids (and grownups) are eating and tossing. I cannot help but see the relationship between mental and physical health, between the well-being of an individual and the well-being of a community. I don’t think a tax on sugar is going to stop this overnight, but it might cause a few to stop and consider what they are putting into their body. It’s a start.

When asked what I want out of life, a lot of different things come into my mind. When I asked a recent client this question, her response was that she would just like to wake up feeling happy for once. After hearing what her life has been like, it’s not a surprise that she has never had that experience.

I’ll give you all a quick glimpse into what her life is like. I’ve changed her name and some small details to protect her identity. “Roberta” is originally from Pennsylvania, where she suffered serious head trauma at a young age. Molested by her brother growing up and physically abused by her father, she dropped out of school at age 16, when her father died, to work and help support her family. Her first drink of alcohol came the day after her father’s death. Marijuana came next, followed by cocaine and heroin.

Unfortunately, her story doesn’t have a Lifetime Television ending. There are no miracles or saving graces. Julia Roberts will not portray her on any screen. Roberta now lives in a trailer in Camden with no running water. Her “boyfriend” with whom she lives makes her prostitute herself for money to pay for his drugs. When asked if he ever abuses her she said “no.” When I asked if he ever hurt her, she said “sometimes he gets angry.” When I finally asked if he ever hits her she said “yes, he punches me when he’s upset.” But she doesn’t consider this abuse.

Roberta is 37 years old. She looks like she’s about 55. There are so many things that I’d like to happen next. So many issues to address. So many challenges. So many barriers. So much potential. So much life still in her, despite everything that’s happened.

My first step is just to get her to come back to the office to see me again. My second step is for me to view her as a wonderful person. Despite all my education and experience, I still sometimes first look at a person as a laundry list of issues and disorders. But she’s not. She’s simply and wonderfully human. I don’t know yet what the third step will be.

Eventually, I hope that when she does “wake up happy” for possibly the first time in her life, that she’ll be able to recognize it.

Welcome and congratulations on reading the first of many exciting blogs by me. This post has nothing to do with creationism or evolutionism, but is instead the purposeful and directed beginning of what I hope will be a provocative and educational opportunity. This blog will serve many functions and will address numerous issues. So to start out, I think it will be helpful to have an FAQ (frequently asked questions) section. I will develop this by posting a new FAQ at the end of every post for the next several weeks and compiling them together when finished. I think it will be helpful when new readers visit the site. I’ll have the next post out in a few days with some good content. The first few post will probably be somewhat explanatory.

Q: What is the purpose of this blog?
A: Great question. I am a social worker at a medical clinic in Camden, NJ. I will be writing primarily, but not exclusively on issues that I see in my daily work. I’ll discuss issues around housing, poverty, medical problems, stigmatization the homeless, social work intervention, etc. I’ll include links to various websites that I feel are important.