Replies to '12/21 One Paycheck Away'

Quote From: houseofmouse

I agree with you on one point:  I see these people standing around with their cups out begging for change, and I can't help but wonder why they can't spent that time working?  Plus, who knows what they do with the money they do manage to get-buy alcohol or cigarettes?  On the other hand, those who have fallen into bad times are not in the same boat as the beggars.  You need to realize that sometimes things happen, and it could happen to anyone.  My brother, for example, was born with MD.  He worked hard all his life until the disease took its toll (at a mere 45 years old).  He was "let go" from his job (in which he was pretty comfortable financially until this point), his wife left him for someone else, and he was forced to file for bankruptcy.  No one would hire him because of his deteriorating condition.  He did apply for disability, but that does not happen over night.  It takes a lot of medical evaluations and red tape.  In the meantime, I gave him a lot of money to help him survive until his benefits kicked in-I even helped him pay for his wheelchair because the State was giving him a hard time about funding it (even the MD Foundation, to which millions of dollars are raised each year, was reluctant to help!).  Although my brother had to ask me for money, I hardly feel that he was being a freeloader, trying to cheat the tax payers.  What you need to remember is that every situation is different-sure, there are definitely people out there who would rather get a free ride than work like the rest of us, but there are some that, unfortunately, get hit by hard times.  My brother never thought he would be in need of financial help, but there he was.  I hope everyone out there who reads this throws away their smug attitudes about those less fortunate than us and starts to realize that just because you are reading this in your nice warm house without a care in the world, it doesn't mean that it couldn't happen to you.