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December 4, 2008 at 12:02 am #646499
AnonymousInactiveZenguy – even though I find your intent in the question offensive, I’ll answer, although, it is clearly none of your business. Being so “zen” I would think you would already know that, “Zen”guy.
Again, you seem to not have read (or grasped) my first post on this topic. My parents DO NOT rely on the Govt. for housing, food, medical, etc.. Do yours?
No, they collect their SS, that they paid for over the years, and they both donate it to charity. Again, do yours?
December 4, 2008 at 12:16 am #646500
JanSParticipantyou know what? I DO rely on the gov’t. for my medical…and I’m damned lucky to have it or I’d be living in my car in front of your house. I will not be donating my SS to charity, because I haven’t been quite so lucky, it seems, as your parents, NR. I saved, saved, saved…and it didn’t work for me. I don’t ask for sympathy…I simply ask that you try to understand that I don’t have to do this because there was a flaw in me, that I didn’t plan right, that I simply made wrong decisions (as The House sometimes feels aobut people) Your snipiness when people question you on things is unflattering, but it speaks volumes, at least to me. I did go through a divorce where no one won financially. My fault that after a lengthy illness the state said I had to spend all my saved money an be broke, when I had a child, house payments, etc, and needed a leg up? NO…not my fault. I was told I had too much…but I had NO INCOME.
I don’t say these things because I want someone to feel sorry for me. It is what it is. I do the best I can, and I work hard. I don’t look down my nose at anyone, ever. But it seems that there’s an underlying something insome of the posts that those who may not have been so lucky as perhaps your parents, or perhaps BDG’s parents, are somehow neglectful and deserve what position they’re in now. I am going to assume that you all don’t really mean that…but it’s how it comes across. Insulted? No…not me. I just don’t understand the seeming classist remarks that are being made without realizing it. My gov’t. is MY gov’t. I served it in the US Army, I gave in taxes and social security, and if I need it later in life, hopefully I won’t be told no again.
Bully for your parents for donating their SS…we’re not all so lucky.
I’m done..this will probably be removed fromn the forum, too…but hopefully I’ve made a point. Or maybe not…Ther eare none so blind as those who will not see…
December 4, 2008 at 12:19 am #646501
ZenguyParticipantMy post was not meant to be insulting.
Your parents are very lucky at this point in their lives and if they donate all their Social Security to charity, then good for them.
The post came off as condescending, I did it…why can’t you? Not everyone is as fortunate and luck has a lot to do with it too.
I sincerely hope your parents do not end up having some of the catastrophic health issues that have taken away the fortunes from some of the people I know. How would they fare if one or more of them ended up in a 24 hour care facility for more than ten years? If all their money had been used up and they were still alive would they then expect the government to step in?
Social Security I will agree was set up incorrectly; currently it is a pyramid scheme that MUST fail at some point unless it is changed. Either the government should have contributed in the beginning for the individuals that did not pay in but got money out or it should be a social welfare system and if you make more than x per year you do not get paid.
My point is we all pay taxes in this country and we all use the services we all pay for and this holier than thou bull has got to stop!
December 4, 2008 at 12:20 am #646502
AnonymousInactiveBtw, BDG, in response to your suggestion of “living below your means”, my Dad is particularly impressive to me. Because “living below your means” does NOT have to mean living in dire circumstances.
Funny story (without giving away his secret), he actually gets paid to live in San Diego, right on the beach. So, he surfs every morning, takes his dogs for walks on the beach every afternoon, and is being paid to do this!
The family joke is: Leave it to my Dad to figure out how to come up with THAT! :)
December 4, 2008 at 12:22 am #646503
JanSParticipantthanks, Zen…
December 4, 2008 at 12:27 am #646504
beachdrivegirlParticipantFirst I refer Zenguy and JanS to HMC. He got the point that I think others were trying to make but you guys are not understanding.
NR, that is funny. Maybe someday I will be lucky enough to figure away to be that creative. :)
December 4, 2008 at 12:34 am #646505
AnonymousInactiveI find it sad that success stories shared here are interpreted as “holier than thou” attitudes. They are just success stories – people that got it right. I’ve seen this theme play out over and over again in the past year here. It’s sad.
No one is looking down on anyone else, at least I’m not. I’m sharing information to support my opinion that people can be successful and NOT have to rely on the Govt. for housing, medical, food, etc..
Why is it the worst thing to substantiate an opinion using facts that are happy-outcomes? Why does that translate into being mean, unsympathetic, uncaring and privileged?
December 4, 2008 at 12:35 am #646506
AnonymousInactiveBDG – No worries, I’ll let you in on that secret next time I see ya! :)
December 4, 2008 at 2:02 am #646507
charlabobParticipant“I find it sad that success stories shared here are interpreted as “holier than thou” attitudes. They are just success stories – people that got it right. I’ve seen this theme play out over and over again in the past year here. It’s sad.”
I find it pathetic when folks show only contempt for real stories that aren’t deemed conventionally “successful.” On top of that, they have the audacity to judge the reactions of others to their so-called success stories, as if there is only one correct definition of getting it right.
Frankly, I find Jan’s story indicative of incredibly inspirational success.
J and J and others (you know who you are) we can share the secrets of our successes next time we get together to have a coven meeting. :-)
Some of us are luckier and pluckier than others — and some of us are even smart enough to know that.
December 4, 2008 at 2:08 am #646508
JanSParticipantNR…it’s translated as being mean because you add things like “people who got it right”, which translates to..those other losers got it wrong…and that’s mean…and just my opinion.
Having money does NOT measure success…”getting it right” as far as money goes, is not the key to happiness. You ARE speaking down to those in our society who might not fit into your little “idea’, whether you realize it or not.
They didn’t get it right, meaning they are superior……they got lucky to have kept their health…and their marriage…and their income, and their investments. I commend them for being a success story like that..
December 4, 2008 at 2:09 am #646509
JanSParticipantCharla…do I need to bring my cauldron to the coven meeting this time?
should it have food in it? lol…
it’s a joke, folks…:)
December 4, 2008 at 2:40 am #646510
Kayleigh2MemberDecember 4, 2008 at 2:44 am #646511
JoBParticipantI consider myself a success story and i have collected social security disability for over 15 years now. I am officially disabled with an illness that is difficult to obtain disability for… and in case you wonder how someone with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia could get disability.. i was disabled for documented organic brain damage.
When i’m good, i’m good.. but i am not reliable.. not even for contract work since i never know how long i will be unable to function when my health fails. I have failed at more deadlines in the past 15 years than i have met.. including the book challenge i took up the first of november.
As it is, i get the minimum amount possible because i concentrated on recovery so long that i missed the filing date that would have retired me with full benefits and barely managed to file in time to get benefits at all… the fact is that didn’t file until i had exhausted my savings trying to recover.
We don’t “need” the money and as a consequence i use my benefits mostly to help others…
You might wonder why i filed at all if we don’t need the money. The easy answer is that negotiating the challenges of this illness is expensive. But that’s not the real answer.
The answer is that although i currently have a financial and medical safety net.. that net is entirely dependent upon my husband and my family.. and at some point i may need to be able to access the medical benefits social security offers.. and i may find myself yet living on less than 700 a month.. as many friends of mine who are disabled do.
Disability is very hard on marriages. I am lucky to have a strong marriage that has survived the pressure… and i hope i continue to be that lucky.. but i can’t count on it. Nor can i count on my husband outliving me.
I consider myself a success because in spite of needing the safety net of a government program.. and i do need that safety net… I choose to live in such a way that I make a difference.. to myself… to my dogs… to my family and to my community.
I consider myself a success because even though i knew the novel challenge would be close to impossible for me to finish, i took it on anyway and i have not given up even though i only managed to write just under 12000 words in November… a long way from the 50000 needed… it may take me until next november.. or the next… but i will eventually finish.
i consider myself a success most because in spite of the difficulty i face every day, i still believe that i am incredibly lucky.. lucky to be living.. lucky to be able to walk.. even if generally not far and not gracefully.. lucky to be able to craft posts even when some of them take me as long as an hour to craft as i hunt for words and painstakingly edit out what i recognize doesn’t make sense. Lucky to be able to contribute.
I know that it may seem difficult for those who have not faced hardship to understand what social security in all it’s manifestations means to those who don’t have any kind of safety net… but i understand all too well how important that safety net could ultimately be to my survival.
I am the least pessimistic person i know.. but i am a realist in addition to being an optimist and i know that the problems facing our poor won’t just go away if we ignore them… and i know that those problems are a matter of survival.. not a matter of comfort.
I am lucky that i am not in their shoes today.. and I believe that luck carries with it the responsibility to help those who are not quite so lucky.
JanS and I and many others who post here are that person some of you characterize as being unwilling to help themselves. That characterization couldn’t possibly be further from the truth.
December 4, 2008 at 2:49 am #646512
JoBParticipantNewResident..
you are replying publicly to a PM message and distorting it’s content… and making personal comments about me.
all of which are strictly against the forum guidelines.
December 4, 2008 at 6:17 am #646513
AnonymousInactiveLook at that midriff….
December 4, 2008 at 6:47 am #646514
beachdrivegirlParticipantcait, tattling is more along the lines of saying I am reportiing this post. Very different
December 4, 2008 at 6:50 am #646515
ErikParticipantNow for my favorite president…lol
They released tons of new Nixon tapes today, should be fun viewing when they hit Youtube.
Here’s an oldie…
December 4, 2008 at 6:58 am #646516
WSBKeymasterI have no idea what started this thread but I’ve just come home to about five flags and I’ve deleted flagged messages that I agree violate the rules. I’m closing the topic because I honestly don’t have time to go through the other 120+ to see where this all started. If there is something violating the rules that is left standing, flag it or else I won’t see it – I remind all that we added that easy-to-use feature for exactly that reason. Overall, the basic rule is, talk about the opinions, not about the people. Thank you.
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