Several issues (or challenges) have arose in my life or in those around me. For the most part they are those that all people must endure in life. Nothing extraordinary except when they are personally happening to you. In all things it is best to seek understanding and when that fails seek to see God in the picture. And usually what I find is that taking personal responsibility is more preferable to me than seeking assistance from the government. I would rather turn towards family before government.
My brother has a solid government job. He also has 15 years in the military, currently with the National Guard on the weekends. He is being deployed again in the GWOT (Global War On Terrorism), this time to Afghanistan. The difference in pay is drastic and they are shuttering up the house; his wife and two children, 12 and 4, will be moving in with our parents just a few miles away for the year he is gone. Our dad and I will be the father influence for his children and my wife and mom will be there to support us all, especially his wife. We are pulling together for what's best for the family.
My wife would be first to point out that when you pay into the welfare system with your taxes you shouldn't feel guilty for asking for government assistance when necessary, not as a way of life, but when in emergencies. This came up when a friend of ours went on disability for an on-the-job shoulder injury. The percentage of pay he is receiving from work doesn't cover the overhead and he has a one month old baby girl now. He bemoaned having to go down and apply for assistance but it had to be done. He will be out of work for some time. Many of us, his friends, have taken up the cause help with groceries, meals, etc. Its what we should do. Its what he would do for us.
When my family lived in the Pacific Northwest, the weather there is generally cold and wet. My father installed a wood stove in our living room and each year he and I cut, split and stacked several cords of wood in the backyard. The most used room in our house was always the warmest and free of charge.
SideNote :And for those of you who 'boo hoo' cutting down trees and polluting the atmosphere with smoke, think again. Even the most die hard enviro-whackjob will admit that burning wood is naturally occurring and not a part of the green debate.
The point is that there is options if you think of them critically. Personal responsibility is taking an honest look at yourself and what you can do to better yourself, yes that sometimes means sacrifice. Cutting some of the fat away from your expenses could go a long way to paying off other debt. Do you really need a monthly fee at NetFlix and Blockbuster and also shop at Hollywood? If you bought a spiffy $20 thermos at REI that keeps a couple cups of coffee hot all day long, think of the money you'd save at Starbucks each month? Probably enough to pay a credit card for the month. Making a couple of sandwich's before work not only saves on the calories you'd get from the vending machine during the day but saves on the cost of food. Spend $5 on some thick cut deli turkey and some cheese and you'll make four sandwiches for the cost of one at the store.
When your down and out, mentally, financially or physically, or hooked on a vice that is ruining your life its most likely your fault for getting in the situation. Exhaust all solutions to fix it yourself, then ask your family or close circle for help (if they haven't already) and then seek outside government assistance.
My brother has a solid government job. He also has 15 years in the military, currently with the National Guard on the weekends. He is being deployed again in the GWOT (Global War On Terrorism), this time to Afghanistan. The difference in pay is drastic and they are shuttering up the house; his wife and two children, 12 and 4, will be moving in with our parents just a few miles away for the year he is gone. Our dad and I will be the father influence for his children and my wife and mom will be there to support us all, especially his wife. We are pulling together for what's best for the family.
My wife would be first to point out that when you pay into the welfare system with your taxes you shouldn't feel guilty for asking for government assistance when necessary, not as a way of life, but when in emergencies. This came up when a friend of ours went on disability for an on-the-job shoulder injury. The percentage of pay he is receiving from work doesn't cover the overhead and he has a one month old baby girl now. He bemoaned having to go down and apply for assistance but it had to be done. He will be out of work for some time. Many of us, his friends, have taken up the cause help with groceries, meals, etc. Its what we should do. Its what he would do for us.
When my family lived in the Pacific Northwest, the weather there is generally cold and wet. My father installed a wood stove in our living room and each year he and I cut, split and stacked several cords of wood in the backyard. The most used room in our house was always the warmest and free of charge.
SideNote :And for those of you who 'boo hoo' cutting down trees and polluting the atmosphere with smoke, think again. Even the most die hard enviro-whackjob will admit that burning wood is naturally occurring and not a part of the green debate.
The point is that there is options if you think of them critically. Personal responsibility is taking an honest look at yourself and what you can do to better yourself, yes that sometimes means sacrifice. Cutting some of the fat away from your expenses could go a long way to paying off other debt. Do you really need a monthly fee at NetFlix and Blockbuster and also shop at Hollywood? If you bought a spiffy $20 thermos at REI that keeps a couple cups of coffee hot all day long, think of the money you'd save at Starbucks each month? Probably enough to pay a credit card for the month. Making a couple of sandwich's before work not only saves on the calories you'd get from the vending machine during the day but saves on the cost of food. Spend $5 on some thick cut deli turkey and some cheese and you'll make four sandwiches for the cost of one at the store.
When your down and out, mentally, financially or physically, or hooked on a vice that is ruining your life its most likely your fault for getting in the situation. Exhaust all solutions to fix it yourself, then ask your family or close circle for help (if they haven't already) and then seek outside government assistance.
