Authorities say that sometime in closing years of the decade, 70 or so men and women visited the Far East enclave of a bearded, charismatic leader and received instruction and special training in his fenced-in compound.  Over the weeks that followed, these people made their way back to the West, carrying with them the dangerous ideas that would cause an upheaval in society and forever change the way we viewed our safe little world.

But we did not call these disciples terrorists.  We knew them as The Beatles, Donovan, Mick Jagger, The Beach Boys.  Some were investigated by the FBI.  But they killed no one.

It was February of 1968.

These days, the act of taking an extended trip to the Far East is not generally seen as a search for spiritual renewal but a desperate act by an empty soul.  Our suspicions are now raised when we read of the travels of people like Ahmad Khan Rahami, accused of having planted pressure-cooker bombs in Manhattan.  Many now ask, why would one travel to Pakistan unless it was your intent to self-radicalize?  No mention is made of sitars.

This is the dilemma of freedom of movement, freedom of decision, freedom of thought.  Some used that freedom to write Dear Prudence — others, to write us off.  What a remote possibility that seemed to be in our youth, in the insouciant West, decades ago.

I do not intend this to become an eye-health blog, but I do have to make another comment about health care costs.  As many of you know, I need periodic injections in my left eye to eliminate fluid that collects behind my retina.  I recently had to switch eye doctors and took this opportunity to select a (somewhat) closer facility.  For now, let’s call the facilities University Hospital A and University Hospital B.

I have met my health care deductible for this year, so I did not receive a bill from UHB after my recent visit there.  I did, however, get an Explanation of Benefits from my insurer, showing how much UHB charged them and what the “allowed” charges were.  It is the allowed charges that I would have been responsible for, had I not met my deductible.

So, here was the eye-opener.  I thought my original facility, UHA, was expensive, as the allowed charges per visit were $687 for the physician, $3,222 for the medicine (!) and $357 for the facility.  I compared these charges to those for my first visit at UHB: $781 for the physician (which includes a new patient charge), $5,039 for the medicine (!!) and $621 for the facility.  Overall, UHB would have cost me almost $2,200 more than UHA, mostly due to the pharmacy bill.  How can two hospitals charge my insurer such wildly different amounts for the same drug, and why does my insurance company agree to pay them that?

This is even more incentive for me to find a facility that can tell me upfront what it will  cost me for my exams and injections.  This should also be an incentive for all of us to vote for politicians who support fundamental changes to address health care and drug costs.  Single payer anyone?  I’m for it.

Hey barkeep.  Gimme another shot of ol’ Red-Eye.  Or better yet, why don’t you just put that bottle right down here in front of me.  Yeh, that’s right, I’m good for it.  Just got back from the mine, struck it rich.  It’s what, 15o dollars?  Hey, whatever you say, you’re the man behind the bar.

Yeh, I have to put a drop of this ol’ Red-Eye in my eye three times a day.  This is the elixir Doc Smith told me to buy.  The blessed nectar of the farm-a-co-logical gods, or so he says.  Pretty damn tiny bottle though.  If I reckon right, this bottle is like $1500 an ounce.  So it better be good.  I do need my shootin’ eye.

I may have to do some bounty-huntin’ to pay for this bottle, barkeep, but you know me… my credit’s always been good here right?  What’s your name again?  Lloyd, was it?