Ted Kennedy

“Money can’t buy life.” (Last words of Bob Marley)

Each of us gauges the world using our own personal units of measure. On January 6, 2009 my uncle, Otha Logan Zachary, died. Just over seven months later, on August 25, 2009, Ted Kennedy died. Age wise they were a few years apart, both were in their 70s and both had been diagnosed at roughly the same time with the same form of deadly brain cancer, malignant glioma.

My Uncle and Ted Kennedy were at the opposite poles of the financial world. I’ll assume Ted Kennedy had the best health insurance that money could buy while I know my uncle did not. Ted Kennedy had the financial resources and clout needed to compensate for any health insurance shortcomings while my uncle did not. I’ll assume the best medical minds in the world were eager to treat Ted Kennedy and for my uncle I will assume those same experts were not available. If we knew for sure that both men had cancer in the same stage, we might be able to assume that the unlimited resources available to Ted Kennedy bought him over seven months of life that were unavailable to my uncle. As for the true portions of gravel and grain, I suppose it would only be significant if Ted Kennedy’s resources bought him a cure that was not available for my uncle and others. That cure wasn’t to be. If miracles truly happen, they come from a higher authority. Miracles are the only things left that are not for sale to our politicians. “Money can’t buy life.” Indeed.

Otha Logan Zachary, you are not forgotten. Rest in peace and say “Hi” to Ted for us if he is up there.