Writer's Block: Helping the Less Fortunate
"Fortunate" is not a good word. It takes away personal responsibility. No matter what it is, there is always a choice of some kind that led up to the situation and another for how to deal with it. Do you mean people who have less money or property? Why would I consider that 'less' fortunate? "Blessed" is a better word, but because it implies a deity, people don't like to use it. I'm blessed with all I need. If I don't have it, either I don't need it or my God will make sure it comes to me.
Some people wonder at my attitude. More income is not the answer. I work at the dojo in exchange for karate lessons. All I really spend is the gas it takes to get here. We shop in thrift stores and practice naturopathy. My husband's income qualifies us for EIC, food stamps, and medicaid. I opted out of the latter two because I got tired of arguing with social services over my right to homeschool. Collecting documentation on income, gifts, utilities, medical visits, assets, relatives' assets, proof of citizenship, and all the other invasions of privacy took too much of my time. Even though they had all that info, I still had to reproduce it every three months as I reapplied for benefits.
What's your income? Do you give to the poor? I don't want anything from you! Quite the contrary, I was going to offer to help any of YOU who were less fortunate because you have too much debt or who think you need the latest new thing. Possessions possess you. Yeah, I sound like a '60s radical, but it's true. Less is more. It's deeper, but my daughter wants to use the computer...
If you have shelter and food, and especially some people you can trust, you have it all!
Some people wonder at my attitude. More income is not the answer. I work at the dojo in exchange for karate lessons. All I really spend is the gas it takes to get here. We shop in thrift stores and practice naturopathy. My husband's income qualifies us for EIC, food stamps, and medicaid. I opted out of the latter two because I got tired of arguing with social services over my right to homeschool. Collecting documentation on income, gifts, utilities, medical visits, assets, relatives' assets, proof of citizenship, and all the other invasions of privacy took too much of my time. Even though they had all that info, I still had to reproduce it every three months as I reapplied for benefits.
What's your income? Do you give to the poor? I don't want anything from you! Quite the contrary, I was going to offer to help any of YOU who were less fortunate because you have too much debt or who think you need the latest new thing. Possessions possess you. Yeah, I sound like a '60s radical, but it's true. Less is more. It's deeper, but my daughter wants to use the computer...
If you have shelter and food, and especially some people you can trust, you have it all!