We aren't doing to bad. Although we are both on disability, we can get by. Its not easy and there are zero perks. Cant afford the movies or even cable tv. And we have to plan ev
erything from dinner at the end of the month to tomorrows breakfast. There is very little 'extra' ever. And I'm not complaining, not at all. I know so many people who are MUCH worse off and although we do our part to help.... its never enough. The point I want to make is that for people on 'welfare' or unemployment or disability and yes even Social Security; if you didn't plan for early retirement or to get laid off or be forced to rely on the government for help.... There is no Thanksgiving. There is no Christmas. They/we cannot afford to buy gifts or an extra turkey. We cannot afford 3 different kinds of pie unless we freeze 2 and 1/2 of them. And it hurts. We don't feel adequate. We feel that our lives are used up and people look at us as if we don't care and never tried. We cannot work anymore and therefore we are useless drags on society. We don't add to the solution, we are made to feel that we ARE the problem. Because we feel we are 'entitled'.
When our mother died in 2008, our parents 'estate' was worth close to half a mil. But that was thru dads hard work at Boeing for almost 50 years and moms working in various positions in banks and other lending institutions. They saved and saved. They never took any real vacations. Unless they were attending a funeral. And they invested by starting with a cheap home in Wichita, to a better home there, to moving to Mukilteo, Washington and buying a nice home there. it was within walking distance to Boeing for dad and he did that alot of the time. Until he got to old for it. And then they improved the home and made it the class of the neighborhood. Mom turned the yard into a garden paradise. We wanted to keep the home but the taxes were way too much. So we had to sell it. She died in May 2008 and we put it on the market by Sept. It took most of 3 years to sell it. And its worth went from over $500,000 to less than $300,000. And when we paid off the mortgage, less than 200. We divided what was left and while one brother lives in Minnesota, my other brother and myself decided to combine our money and try to find a place for the two of us and maybe a garage for a recording studio. I guess we felt 'entitled'. We found this run down tri plex, put in an offer and it was accepted. Now, two years later and we almost have it paid for. It wasnt easy making payments out of our disability, but we did it. And we have helped a few people along the way.
As I said, we are/were lucky. My brother and I worked most of our lives before becoming disabled. My brother has always been sickly with asthma but when he had heart problems he had to quit working. And I worked for over 30 years before I was disabled on the job. So I guess we are entitled to what our parents struggled so long for. And for what we did and do. But for most people in our place, we hide on Halloween because we cant afford to buy candy for the kids trick or treating. We pretend to be sick, so we don't have to go to functions where its weird if you don't bring a bottle of wine or something. There is no real Christmas or Thanksgiving because it costs extra, and extra don't come with SSI, or welfare or unemployment.
And the republicans want to eliminate what we do have.
And at the end of December, the 'extended' unemployment package runs out. So unless your state is different, lots of people are going to be real bad off after the first of the year. Remember that if they cant make it to your new years party.