France has one of the most advanced and costly welfare systems in the world. The services are excellent and provide benefits to just about all of the population. One benefit was government sponsored pension that was to start at age 60. Due to a lower tax base and increased debt, the French government decided they needed to raise the retirement age to 62. There are now strikes and picketing throughout France. Fuel stations have closed and railroad and plane trips have been limited. With our whole group traveling by various methods to Paris this weekend, it puts us in a perilous situation.
Those of you that know me probably believe that the strife the nation is facing could only be accountable to my infamous Lynch Luck. Like Murphy's Law (it must be an Irish thing), anything that can go wrong, does with Lynch Luck. But the problem gets even worse because there is no respite. There is always something that gets out of kilter. Now I will probably have things work out, because invariably things have to do so. I have learned to adapt and respond effectively.
Jenn, my daughter, also has inherited the Lynch Luck. You may have already remembered her trip here. Well the other day she chipped her tooth. We found a dentist in a nearby town and made an appointment for today at 10:45. John was to drop the students off in Albi, bring the car back,drive to Valance and translate for us at the dentist. However by 10 he hadn't returned. I started to try to call him. I spoke with Tim and made arrangements for him to take Jenn, Deb and I to the dentist. At around 10:20, as we were ready to leave, John came up the lane. He had to avoid picketers in Albi and it took him a long time to return.
Jenn needed a filling, and when she went in, I realized that we did not have insurance to cover her expenses. I imagined a huge dental bill. So I went to the ATM in Valance. I took out 200 Euros, hoping it would be enough. When John came out from where jenn had the procedure, he said 21. I thought 21 what, cavities, hundreds of Euros, what? He said 21 Euros for the work that was done. Now the dentist took over 45 munites with Jenn, and gave her a filling, and yet it was only 21 Euros. Very good price for medical procedures of all kinds here. (see, good health care does work).
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