Uncle Jack

Jack Dinovi was a cool guy. Huge Eagles fan. Phillies, Flyers, 76er's, he loved them all.

Taught high school in Philly his whole life. Coached every high school sport there was to coach. Loved the kids. They loved him. Perfect universe.

Retired in the early '90's. Had a stroke six months after.

I remember Uncle Jack from the early sixties. Used to come up every other year or so to visit with the poor cousins. I used to get my new clothes out of a box they sent up once a year, they being the rich cousins in New York and New Jersey.

Jack lived just across the state line from Philly. Forty-five minutes from Atlantic City. We watched the moon landing from his basement. The poor cousins would drop in once in awhile.

The stroke. He goes from being the coolest coach in Philly to having insurance company lawyers sitting on his hospital bed, telling him what his insurance will and will not pay for.

Lingered on for a few years. When you linger on in America the insurance company and everybody else makes sure you know you're a burden.

His widow still makes the trip up every few years. She is a beautiful person. Just got her PhD recently. Quite an achievement for somebody crowding 70. Looks younger than me.

When she comes up the conversation inevitably turns to single payer health insurance. Here in Canada people don't lose their homes because they can't pay their hospital bills. She didn't, but she came close.

But it would put an end to lawyers sitting on your bed telling you what medical care you can afford.