at the hospital.

I was recently at a hospital and noticed a few things. 

1. The parking garage is not free. 

2. The parking garage takes cash only. 

3. There is a $2.50 bank charge to withdraw cash from the bank to pay for the parking. 

Besides the fact that it's 2017 and someone only accepts cash, there were a few more important observations. 

1. Imagine what a gift it would be for a hospital to not charge parking. Very few people are at a hospital because they want to be. Imagine what that would mean to them. 

2. If the hospital didn't take advantage of giving a gift, imagine what a gift it would be for the bank to not charge a fee to pay for hospital parking... because very few people are grabbing cash from that machine to pay for parking because they want to. 

3. If the hospital didn't take advantage of the gift, nor the bank, imagine what a gift it would be for the lab to validate parking... because very few people are visiting that lab in that hospital because they want to. 

Think of the opportunities to be kind and compassionate, to give a gift to people who are generally not in their favorite spots in life that are around us every day, that we miss, because we're just a tad too consumed with "paying the bills". 

As our government, again, debates health care, I can't help but imagine how nice it would be if they were more concerned about being kind and compassionate, of giving gifts to people who are often in their worst circumstances, instead of being consumed with "paying the bills". 

Or, at the very least, if they were equally concerned with "paying the bills" when it comes to giving 700 billion dollars to what is already, by far, the world's wealthiest military. 

I guess all of this is to be expected when a culture pays far more attention to money and fear than kindness and generosity.