Dear Ann Landers: This is for all wives who think they can trust their husbands because they come straight home from work and never go out alone in the evening.
I used to be one of those flea brains until I discovered, after 32 years of marriage, that my husband, ”Leo,” has been sneaking around behind my back for the last 20 years.
Who told me? A ”friend” who got mad at him because she found out he was cheating on her with another woman who is also in our social group.
My husband is one of those men who just love hardware stores and can go in for a screwdriver and not come out for three hours. (At least that is where he said he was.) Although I could never get him to fix one thing in this house, he was always happy to help out any widow in the neighborhood who needed some wiring or carpentry work done.
I had to pay someone to fix our roof last year because Leo always said he was afraid of heights. When I caught him hanging second-story screens for a woman who lives three blocks away, I got suspicious. We had a talk, and he convinced me that suddenly, through prayer, he had overcome his fear.
Now that I have the goods on the rat, he has turned into the model husband. I haven`t decided what I am going to do, but I sure feel like a fool for having been so blind all these years. I hope you will print this letter for other wives who are living in dreamland, as I was.
No Name, No City, Just Ohio
Dear Ohio: You didn`t ask for any advice and it doesn`t sound as if you need any. I`ll bet Leo behaves a lot better from now on. If he doesn`t and you need some reinforcement, write again.
Dear Ann Landers: I received a call yesterday that left me sick to my stomach and extremely angry. The call was from a collection agency person who said that if I didn`t pay my bill, I would be reported to the attorney general and my credit rating would be destroyed.
What did I do to deserve this? Was I in charge of an S&L that made sweetheart loans to friends and relatives? Did I buy a new car that I couldn`t afford? No. So what did I do that was so terrible? I fainted in a public place.
Someone called an ambulance and I was on my way to the hospital when I woke up. Several hours later in the emergency room, I told the admitting clerk that I had no insurance and no job. When the doctor arrived he asked me if I knew the name of the president. I replied, ”George Bush.” The doctor said he couldn`t do anything for me, that I had to call my own physician.
The bill for all this is in the hands of a collection agency. Last year my income was below poverty level. I have written several times to the hospital and ambulance company and asked them to send me the forms for general assistance, since I can`t pay the bills. They ignore my requests.
It is a disgrace that we are the only industrialized nation without some form of public health plan. This is just another example of the moral and ethical callousness of those who are in positions of power in this country.
B.M., Utica, N.Y.
Dear Utica: It is a disgrace that 33 million Americans are without health coverage. I promise you that this is going to change. The American Medical Association and several top senators and congressmen are going to see to it-and soon. As for your situation, visit the hospital in person and get the forms you need.
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Is that Ann Landers column you clipped years ago yellow with age? For a copy of her most frequently requested poems and essays, send a self-addressed, long, business-size envelope and a check or money order for $4.85 (this includes postage and handling) to: Gems, c/o Ann Landers, P.O. Box 11562, Chicago, Ill. 60611-0562. (In Canada, send $5.87.)
