Yes, we have the kind of charity cases you mention in England, too. The only time the media home in on such stories is when a 12-year-old has her second child or a council has refused to build special housing for a mother and her 11 kids and she’s outraged… you get the idea. Well, I’m sure you see it for yourself. Apart from that, too many seem to whine until they get what they want simply because people get sick of the whining and give in to them. It’s a shame that they are allowed to get away with it instead of the resources going to those really in need.

Me, me, me, me, me. Yep, that’s like a national anthem for many these days, isn’t it? They never stop for one moment to think that there are over six billion over MEs in the world! But of course that doesn’t matter because they themselves are special, whereas the others aren’t, so they actually really do deserve a luxurious life for doing absolutely squat.

It really does drive me nuts, though, what people think of as necessities for survival. Hence this post. Glad you liked it. Thanks for sharing with us.

Happy New Year, Heidi,
Steve

Now, most of these people aren’t working - not because they are victims of the current economic crisis, but because they are professional, multi-generational charity cases. And they “DESERVE” government assistance. And most of the local charities, being staffed by the bored and idle wealthy, give them everything they ask for. Well, that’s getting away from the original subject.

The world is run by the ME generation (yeah, I know I’ve said THAT a million times in my posts here) so a broken fingernail is a news story worthy of interrupting the regularly scheduled programming. Don’t forget, the news media is mainly comprised of members of the ME generation as well. For us “throwbacks”, well, this is a weird world indeed.

Side note to Terrie: I sympathize. I’m from Connecticut, born and raised, and living in South Carolina is like being dropped on another planet. I hate the summer, it’s damp and muggy year round, so the cold is raw and the heat is like breathing liquid. The culture is totally alien. I’ve lived here 12 years now and I’m still a stranger in a strange land. All image, no substance.

Maurice and Barbara sound great. If only more people had such friends the world would be a much happier, and healthier, place. Despite the problems you describe, you’re a lucky guy, Tim. But then you don’t need me to tell you that.

Yes, that word - ‘deserve’. I really hate it because it’s lost all meaning. People twist it around and turn it inside out until you’d swear that if they couldn’t afford a new Dolce and Gabana outfit they ‘deserved’ to be heard by the Court of Human Rights in Strasburg.

You’re right - the present economic climate could prove to be a wake-up call to many people. Pampered as we demand to be, I dread to think how people will cope.

Thanks for sharing, Tim.

Yes, Elainna, reality is way too harsh for most people - probably why they only like to see it on TV!

God forbid anyone should be well informed and demand things are done about the many problems we face. How could our leaders cope? You’re right, that would cause a lot of stress, not to mention inconvenience for those that actually had to address the problems!

Thanks for contributing.

Yes, Yvonne, candles might not be everyone’s first choice as a source of light and heat, but who wouldn’t choose that over the options you mention or hundreds of others.

Personally, however, I’d moan my a*** off if I had to suffer 10 days without power! I’ve never experienced that so I’d hate every second. If it became a common occurrence, though, then the moaning when subside into acceptance and methods to cope with it, as is the case for you. It would do a lot of people an immense amount of good to go without what they call the ‘basics’ for a while. Give them some perspective on what actually is basic to life and what isn’t. Hey, what a shock that would be!

Thanks for commenting, Yvonne.

Have a wonderful Christmas, everyone,
Steve

We live in rural down-state IL., so we “lose” electricity a tad too often for Comfort - ice storms, tornadoes, etc.. and for way more than a few hours, up to 10 days is the record for us. It’s no fun, but I’m not a Pioneer type.. but we lit our home & heated it with 7 candles for 3 days last March & it was fine (well-insulated helped!).

And it’s much better than being homeless & trying to live on the street!
Or in a War Zone.. or in a FEMA camp!

Those poor people in Scotland, however did they manage the exertion of having to bundle up a little? (Sarcasm is a second language for me.)
The point you’re making here is so obvious, Ray Charles could have seen it. People are so effing spoiled by these wonders of modern technology…..like indoor heat. They weep if the lights go out, bitch like a bunch of toddlers if they can’t have what they feel they “deserve”.

For the last two-and-a-half years, I have been chronically ill, penniless and indigent. If it weren’t for the love, grace and kindness of two VERY good people, I’d be homeless. I’m presently living in an old camper, 33 ft. long and 12 ft. wide. Don’t get me wrong, it’s got a full-size bed, full bathroom, kitchen with 2 refrigerators and a microwave, and a reasonably spacious front-room sitting area. Here’s the punchline, though: it has no heat. I don’t care. It’s a roof over my head with a very comfortable bed, a place to keep my food, and to cook that food. My cat and I love it in there. Believe me, it beats the hell out of living in the woods, which I’d be doing were it not for Maurice and Barbara, who, out of the goodness of their hearts, paid $2750.00 for this camper, for me, last February. My cat & I had been living in a bedroom in their house before that, and we were more than comfortable there.

MY point here is that people have no idea how stripped-down their lives could be, IF they HAD to be…..and if the global economy continues on it’s present downward trend, millions will discover personally what I’m talking about here.

In other words:
Live simply that others may simply LIVE!

Steve, you are a prince among men!
Keep this blog going, and keep opening people’s eyes and minds!

While I used the same kind of voice, the same kind of writing style for my book, and while it has the same kind of philosophy blended into the story, it’s a serious suspense thriller, not a comedy. Hope you’re not too disappointed!

Thanks for dropping in. I’m pleased you found it worth your while.
Steve

You see, the whole point is that there could have been a story concerning old people suffering in winter, or poor people going into debt to stay warm, or children being sick for want of adequate heating, but that wasn’t the story the BBC chose to run with.

The entire point is that their news story was about a town losing its gas supply and people not being able to run their central heating systems. I didn’t make that up!

Making light of people dying of cold is completely wrong, you’re right. But making light of morons who run with these stories, who believe these stories, or are ’suffering’ because they’ve been left with no central heating for a few hours is not only fun, it should be mandatory to force people to feel shame and to take note of the true issues - such as those you mention.

People ‘deserve’ too much these days. Many don’t understand and don’t want to understand logic, so shaming them seems an appropriate alternative to try to get the message through.

As for poor villages? We don’t have poor villages, poor towns, poor cities, just poor people.

I know. I’ve been poor. Luckily I had enough common sense to be able to keep warm and survive. And that is what will make al the difference in the end - not charity, not low interest loans, not government handouts, but common sense. If we lose that we lose everything.

Thanks for furthering the discussion, Kim. Enjoy your weekend,
Steve

Why?

Grass!

Even as green and lush as Yosemite is, it still isn’t as green and lush as England, and I missed it whilst there, so there’s no way I could move permanently. Of course there will be places in the world that are similar to what we have, in the States too, but our little country has such contrasting countryside in such a tiny space - within just a few miles of my house I can be walking on desolate moorland or deep in heavily wooded valleys. Plus, no matter where you are in the country, you’re never more than a couple of hours drive from the sea.

So, you see, I know just what you mean, Terrie about the horrors of being a ‘transplant’, so you have my sympathies. And so does Ania, of course, being from Poland. She misses the blistering Polish summers but loves our mild winters (though, like me, she dearly misses snow). Oh, and she’ll be dead chuffed (there’s a great Yorkshire phrase if ever there was one) to here you lived in Poland.

While it doesn’t sound like you had time to build a snowman, I hope you had time to throw a snowball or two - maybe at one of your neighbours who wouldn’t stop staring at the crazy person standing in snow in her bare feet!

Parkas, insulated boots, gloves… yeah, we have people like that. It can get pretty nippy here in August when the sun goes behind a cloud! ;-)

Have a wonderful weekend, Terrie,
Steve