Reflection

December 6, 2024

Well, another year is almost over. What a year it was! As I was writing my annual “Holiday Letter,” my mind started to meander over the events of the past year, as well as the early years of my life. I guess that is the norm for someone in their late 80’s .

I self-published a memoir in 2023, “The Journey,” primarily as a road map for my children, discussing where their family came from. I also set up a website – jesssweely.com where I have a Blog. I write about various things that I find interesting based upon happenings around me .

Now, as I near the end of the road, I feel an urge to discuss my views on the happenings in the world today and in the past.

In 1981, I was introduced to Dr. Morris Massey’s philosophy of “You Are What You Were When.” Dr. Massey was a Professor at the University of Colorado, teaching marketing. He was born in 1939 and was considered a sociologist, although he had an M.B.A. from the University of Texas and a PH.D. from Louisiana State University.

The premise of “You Are What You Were When” is that up to the age of 7, you are in what he describes as an “imprint period.” That period is when your values are initially established, from our environment and parents.

From the age of 8 through 13, you are in the “modeling period.” During this period we are influenced by others as well as our parents and the media.”

At this point, our value system is ingrained and will only change if we incur a “significant emotional event.” What is a “significant emotional event?”

It can include getting fired from a job, the death of a loved one, getting married, having children, serious health issues. The list goes on.

During the same period, I was introduced to a book, “The Seasons of a Man’s Life” by Daniel J. Levinson. This book was written in 1978, and is based upon a ten year study of forty adult males. This study showed the affect that events have, that shape behavior, attitudes, and emotional states in adult males.

Over the years, I have referred to these two books and their premises in my everyday life.

The year, 2024, has had many ups and downs for many, especially for those in Ukraine and the Middle East. What is it that will bring a lasting peace to the world? What is the “Significant Emotional Event” that needs to occur to make that happen? Probably not in my remaining lifetime!

The recent events in the healthcare arena are also disturbing. We should be able to settle our differences without using violence. I have said for years that the healthcare system is broken.

I was a co-founder of a Medicaid Managed Care Company that we eventually sold to United Healthcare in 2002. We were obligated by the terms of the sale to remain with the company for 3 years. That experience was painful and disappointing.

We had a policy of paying all of our providers within 30 days after the submission of a claim. We felt that this was fair and equitable, and whatever interest one might earn on the funds before they were spent, did not justify delaying payments. We had agreements with all of our providers as to payments for services rendered, and some services required pre-authorization. However, our denial rate was low and we maintained good relations with all of our providers.

United’s policy was to not pay anyone for at least 60 days, and deny, and then, readjudicate claims. Not a philosophy that I subscribed to. There were other issues also.

The current management of the corporations that we all do business with today, appear to have a different philosophy as to how they operate and communicate with their customers. We appear to have lost the “customer service” aspect of how business used to be conducted. Maybe they need to have a “significant emotional event” occur.

I recognize that I am a “dinosaur” and probably have beliefs that some would fine irrelevant today. However, be it as it may, that is what makes our country thrive.

We may disagree, but we need to be respectful about it. Where have ethics and morality gone?

As I was putting my Holiday Letter together, I was reminded of how many of my friends, co-workers and relatives are no longer with us. I must say, that was an eye opener! I hope that they are looking down and saying, ‘don’t stop now.”

I believe that whatever success I have had, is the direct result of those who worked for me, and made me a better person, and those who were my mentors. As I look back, almost all of my mentors served in WWll. What an experience! I was told many years ago, ‘hire those that are smarter than you.”

We didn’t have the technology and social media that exists today, but we worked and communicated face to face. We sometimes had differences, but we worked through them. Another axiom we had, was that everyone needed to be treated with respect, no matter what. Where has that gone?

There are many issues impacting our country that require progressive, thinking individuals to resolve. Who and where are they? The governing body of this country, Congress, is not equipped, in my estimation. Bi-partisanship doesn’t exist. How do we get back to being a country “for all?” We need to stop the nonsense and get to work, together, to solve the many issues that exist.

The electorate, you and me, are partially to blame. We elected those in Congress. We can also unelect them! Are we prepared? Time will tell, but we better not wait too much longer.

The world has changed and we need to change with it. Are we prepared? As to the military motto, a few years ago, “We want the best and the brightest to represent us.”

Jess Sweely

Madison, Va.