Aug 22 2009
SOAP BOX: What to do when you have NOTHING to give…
SOAP BOX: What to do when you have nothing to give…
I know a simple, “I am sorry you are going thru this”, does not help, it does lessen the blow a little. What does one do, where do they turn when in every direction you turn, is a dead end? I have it in my own circumstances and multiplied within my own family and friends. It is like a disease that is spreading, we hear someone else has lost their job, someone else has lost their health insurance coverage…used to be someone you didn’t know, now it’s part of your own home.
They(expert talking heads on TV) talk about people ’saving money’, who can do that??? What do you save when there is NOTHING to save??? Everything needs a seed to grow…what do you do when there are NO seeds to be had???? No SEEDS, no DIRT, means NOTHING grows. Let me check my piggy bank….oh, sorry, it’s empty. 
When it takes everything you can accumulate, to pay for the bare minimum, if that…you can barely get above the water to breathe, let alone have the wherewithall to find a job> when there are NONE to be had? Or tell your disease to go away, because now, is just not a good time to be sick.
Public agencies can or will or are enabled to do only so much to help people. How does one get back on your feet when there is no ground to step on? Where is the dignity? Where is the shame?
The dignity goes away and the shame comes to stay.
A means for HOPELESSNESS becomes instilled in those who were always self sustaining and self empowered, a cycle of hopelessness and the fear of utter poverty begins to weasel it’s way into the once sustainable middle class…never mind how badly it effects people who were already in poverty situations, that is beyond belief!
Anyone check to see if their tent is in order lately? Stock up on camping supplies, tents are not just for camping anymore!
Recession my ass…wake up!!!! Recession/Depression…whatever you call it, it is here and now, millions of people are looking into the abyss of hopelessness. And shame on all those who will end up preying on those who have NOTHING to waste because they will be looking desperately for some kind of hope, any kind of hope to make their lives feel normal again.
Government is NOT going to fix this for us, don’t allow yourself to believe that in a millisecond! The government cannot do it without financing our grandchildren’s children’s future… it is up to us, AS AMERICANS WHO LIVE HERE & NOW, to change our behavior for good…to stop being greedy, selfish, self serving, whiny, sick, perverted, addicted, and whatever crappiness we have pushed ourselves into that has led to our undoing.
It’s time for Americans to do something they have not done for decades(only 5% of us have)…HELP EACH OTHER. Not just family, not just friends, but also your neighbors and neighbor’s neighbor, put your hands out to them-help them feel good enough to stand up for themselves…help those who cannot even meet their own needs-donate some food, spend that buck on food for someone less fortunate, instead of your latte…share a meal with someone you know is having a hard time, send the leftovers home with them…
And those who NEED THE HELP, need to set aside their pride, ask others for help(before it’s too late) and allow it to take place, regardless of how small the donation, be grateful for face of humanness> pass it on to someone less fortunate than you, whatever it is, just do it and do it until you have no more to give….for no matter what you get from doing it, even if it is NOTHING.
No one ever climbed Mt. Everest alone and lived to tell about it(maybe, who knows, it’s on the other side of the world, I have no idea, you know what I mean though). Time to come together and quit bitching about all the problems and act on solutions. If you see something is on the ground, broken> DON’T IGNORE IT, pick it up and fix it…fix it, don’t stand there and bitch about it, and slaughter one another with words and gestures…THAT NEVER SOLVED ANYTHING…
Lend a hand, help someone who might fall, help them stand up…
It’s time for ignorance to go away.
Healthcare, Joblessness, Homelessness, Poverty, and on and on, it can and will get much worse for many people…we cannot all do this as individuals, but that is where it starts, we must band in unity as Americans and help each other. The world is a big place, we are the nation we are for a reason, why not be the shining example of unity and hope for the rest of the planet?
If only half of us did SOMETHING…ANYTHING…TO HELP EACH OTHER…we not only lift ourselves up but also our fellow human beings as well. Seriously.
Okay, okay, I am leaving now, you don’t have to push me off the Soap Box! Till next time I get pissed about something!
Right— my husband has been laid off for 7 months so I have been the sole provider…. our income is over $40k less this year than last year! Talk about not being able to save…. so sad. I totally agree that helping eachother is the way to go. Hopefully if this recession brings forth people to help eachother, it can continue once the recession ends and our economy is looking way up.
I like your soap box and this one is definitely on target. You cant save if you are making nothing. You can scrimp and reduce and there comes a point when you have nothing left to sell. I do believe it will continue to get worse, or at least stay the same for long days ahead and people helping people is what we have to get back to.