In the mid-1980s, a movie came out around Thanksgiving that resonates with many as a great holiday movie that is watchable and relevant even 37 years later. No, it’s not the movie “Die Hard, “which came out in 1988. Although there is a case for “Die Hard” being one the greatest Christmas movies of all time, this movie was about traveling home specifically for the Thanksgiving holiday. The 1987 comedy is “Planes, Trains and Automobiles,” starring Steve Martin and the late great John Candy.
The movie opens with cranky traveling ad executive Neal Page (played by Martin) leaving lower Manhattan to get home in time for Thanksgiving dinner in his cozy suburban Chicago home with his wife and children. I won’t spoil the whole movie in case you want to catch it on Amazon Prime, but Neal and his new “friend” Del Bryant (Candy) find themselves in one disastrous travel situation after another that could have landed them at any point in time in the emergency room or worse as they travel by (you guessed it) plane, train and automobile to get home to Chicago.
By the time Neal learns the name of the irritating man who will become his travel partner for the next two days, he’s mostly likely encountered billions of little germs clinging to everything from cab door handles, bathroom stall locks and airplane seat belts. When talkative shower curtain ring salesperson Del Bryant squeezes into the middle seat next to Neal and starts a one-sided conversation, Neal’s germs and Del’s germs are well on their way to getting acquainted.
So far, you may view this story as a reason not to travel over the holidays, but really, it’s trying to do the exact opposite. You see, the movie is about family in the end. It’s about Neal’s overwhelming desire to get back home to his wife and children and Del’s sadness over losing his. It’s about working that much harder to see our loved ones even if we need to deal with a few germs along the way. Germs are going to happen, and our bodies have wonderful immune systems that are built to help us fight them off every minute of every day.
If getting together with your loved ones means travelling over the holidays, don’t be afraid. We all know how to take precautions like good handwashing, being careful about touching bathroom doors and even wearing a mask while on the plane. Nothing is strange or odd about doing any of those things in today’s world. We’ve got this. And even if we don’t (let’s face it grandchildren will likely deliver more germs to your immune system than actually licking the airport floor), you can visit a doctor anywhere anytime on your Medicare Advantage Plan.
That’s correct, all emergency and urgent care is covered by Medicare Advantage plans. So, if you happen to catch something and need to get an antibiotic, a trip to the local urgent care will be covered as an in-network visit. Better yet, our online virtual primary care system allows you to consult a doctor from your telephone or iPad wherever you might be. If you happen to be as unlucky as Neal and Del (which no one is) and your rental car catches on fire, a trip to the ER is covered, even from the cold and snowy byways of Anywhere, USA.
Seriously, no one is as unlucky as Neal and Del. Watch the movie and laugh at the absurdity of bad luck, shed a heart-tugging tear at the end, and then make plans to see your family this holiday season.