Too much privacy?

Are you getting tired of all the emphasis on privacy?

Each month we get some statement in the mail from some organization giving us their privacy policy. These legal documents tell me that I do not need to be concerned about them giving away any of my secrets. That is good except I don't think I have any secres that would interest anyone else.

The privacy laws have made it hard for us to be neighborly. We might see an ambulance passing by and be concerned that someone is ill. But it doesn't do any good to call the hospital to find out if our neighbor was admitted. They can't tell us. Even those valued volunteers who form the auxiliary and who are also our neighbors can't let us know.

In the church we have a prayer list. We are told that someone is in need of our prayers. Period.

We don't know if that person is ill, is facing a big decision, was in an accident, or is awaiting test results that are worrisome. We can't do anything to help the person because the church staff is not allowed to tell us enough about the situation to help us see any needs that might be present.

If we have heard through the grapevine that someone is in the hospital, we can't go visit them unless the grapevine also told us the code name that will allow us to know what room they are in.

A prime example of the confusion this causes happened last year when my husband was called in the middle of the night because a patient was near death and wanted a minister to come. The regular minister was attending a meeting and was too far away to get back, so Lester was called.

He got up, dressed and hurried to the hospital and then couldn't find where the patient was. He went up where most patient's rooms were and found a nurse who knew him and directed him to the proper room.

He remembered fondly the days when a minister could look at a private book which gave the room numbers of patients under their denomination. (This was always with the patient's permission) He could look under Methodist and see if any of his church members were in the hospital.

Now some ministers get criticized for not calling on the sick. But they have no way of knowing who is sick unless some family member or neighbor gives them the information. They can't go up and down the halls peering into rooms to see if there is anyone they should visit.

It is true that sometimes patients got too many visitors when they were in the hospital. But having no one call or send cards is a lonely experience.

Police reports and the sheriff's notices give details, when most of us would rather not have everyone know if we "ran afoul of the law."

Where are the privacy laws then?

The days when the telephone operator or "Central" could tell us what was going on in the neighborhood is gone.

But wasn't it nice to be able to know that if there is an emergency you will hear a long ring on your phone and then will be told about the fire, illness, death, or accident in your neighborhood? You didn't have to wait to see emergency vehicles coming by to realize that someone you cared about has a problem.

We knew that the neighbors listened in on the old party lines. Privacy wasn't expected.

However, I don't want Uncle Sam listening in on my calls. There's where I want privacy.