81 Love's Labours Lost

Again I am of a mind to bring some enlightenment to the subject of living beyond your means. Going somewhat with the theme of yesterday's rant, I would ask you to ask yourself if you are worried about your finances. Are you having trouble making payments? Are you struggling to just get by? I bet many out there are. Most people dont like to admit they're having trouble because it makes them feel "less". You feel inadequate because it seems like a personal failing, so, you go on, using credit cards, borrowing and sometimes, doing without.

People put themselves in this situation by living beyond their means. You see Joe-Bob getting a new house or car or a boat, four-wheeler, tv or some other such luxury and then you want one. You stew over it for a while and then, sooner or later, you either borrow the money, use the hated card or take money from somewhere else and go do it. It's okay for a while and then, just like last year, hours are cut, jobs are cut and then you have the same amount of payments and less income. Sometimes there are unforseen bills that pop up like medical bills, car repairs, shoes for the kid. You know? Stupid stuff. Well, you've created a bill for yourself by wanting something nicer. In a way that's okay, in a way, it was stupid. You could have put a little money in your old house or your old car and not had to have that bigger, better deal. You have the bill now and you are facing losing that house or that car. For a while you can stem the flow, cutting back, spending savings and using the card, then, eventually, it catches up to you through other, unforseen circumstances. Credit's shot, life feels like it's in a shambles. I've said it before- people are afraid of change. They are afraid to take a job making less because it will make them look weak or they will feel like they failed. That's stupid. I always said I'd shovel crap in a barn if it meant feeding the family and keeping a roof over their heads.

A few rants back, fb friend Sharon said she was fed up seeing people at the store using their food stamp card to buy a cart full of meat when her working rear end and her working husband had to splurge to buy meat. It is a shame that folks abuse the system, but it is a fact of life. I have raved time and time again about the changes that are needed. Until that time we must watch as people that are lazy and ignorant abuse programs that were meant for the down-trodden. When you see something like this, it makes you want things even more. It's a shame that what you want sometimes is something as basic as a better dinner for your family.


I've also stated before that I witnessed folks that I knew to be on "assistance" blowing their entire "check" in one of the many "hot spots" around the area. They left their kids( app. 7 or 8 yrs old) in the car while they gambled. Every so often, the guy would grab a handful of the "free" snacks that they place out for the gamblers and go out and throw them in the back seat, much as if they were feeding a dog. We were so pissed we called someone in authority and were told if they werent abusing them, there was nothing to be done. Wasnt that neglect? Wasnt it a waste of taxpayer money? Oh, yeah, that's not a crime. Welfare pukes do it and so do congressmen so it's okay. I sometimes wonder why these people are allowed to remain breathing. As usual, I must say that I have no problem with legitimately injured or infirmed people using a program, it's the abusers that get my goat.

So, we have people using taxpayer money to buy luxury items and waste as they see fit, we have working folks wanting something better and being allowed to extend themselves too far to get it and now, for all our troubles, we have a financial crisis that is teetering on the brink of full-blown depression. What next?

There are so many things wrong with this country, I fear the only way to fix them is to wipe the slate clean and start over.

What about people that have kids just for the sake of having them? As mentioned above, abusers of the system often have kids just to up their check and their foodstamps. They get abused quite often, dont they? You've all seen it. 350 pound mother and father, waddling through the chip and soda aisle, the kid asks for something and is immediately screamed at to shut up. As far as that goes, I've seen working class people that treat their kids about the same. Everyone loses their temper once in a while or you have a bad day, but why in the name of heaven, did you have those kids if you dont want to raise them? The "sit down, shut up" mentality died a long time ago, didnt it? Most of us talk to our kids, teach them what we can and love them so they can grow up and have a life of their own. Again, in a previous rant, maybe some situations would call for people to NOT be allowed to have kids.

You probably think I sound like a communist or a nazi. Well, whatever it takes. Maybe when we see someone abusing their kids, we should step in. It IS up to the parents to discipline their kids,yes. It IS up to the parents to decide what the kid should or should not have, but it makes my blood boil to watch obvious abuse or neglect. My guess is, none of us will interfere without some obvious physical contact. That's okay too. I suppose I just get too emotional about these personal issues. Some of you will say it's none of my business, but as long as I am blogging, my job is awareness. It may be my twisted, convoluted view, but it is still in my blood to at least give you an idea, a more solidified point of view of your own by at least raising the subject.

So now, by my calculations, we are at a crossroads. We must figure out which long road to go down: complete economic and governmental reform? Economic reform with minimal effect on social programs? Governmental reform as per pork spending and bailout reform? No reform at all, putting our head in the sand and hoping it will work out for the best in the long run? And the list goes on...

Every cell in my body knows what to do, and many others out there will agree if I were to write it down, but I dont want to go to jail. The question is how to get a handle on ourselves, our government and the politicians that are using it, I mean running it. How do we get folks to take responsibility? How do we find moral people that will not be self-serving to act on our behalf? How do you keep from punching some guy in the face when you see him buying a hundred dollars in scratch-off tickets when you know his kids need cereal? The law is on his side. Punch him( or her) and go to jail.


So, until enough people are fed up enough with enough situations, we will get up every day, do our thing and take care of our families as best we can. As for whether you get steak tonight, well, c'mon over, we have some deer meat in the freezer, will that do? Oh yeah, there's still some bear meat left, just give me some warning, I have to get the gas tank filled for the grill.