"No, I'll be alright" he told me.
As I read Grayson' lackey's BS letter I find myself thinking about a man in my home town that told me, "No, I'll be alright."
He was an older gentleman, wearing a plain t-shirt and blue jeans. Judging by the wear and tear, it may have been the only clothes that he owned.
He appeared to be in some sort of distress as he was leaning against a large pine tree next to the roadway. He repeated softly, "I'll be alright." And he tried to stand completely upright.
I had some where that I needed to be, but when I saw him leaning against that pine in either pain or distress I felt I needed to see if I could help. I asked if he was sure that he was okay, and he said again, "I'll be alright. Just some aches and pains."
I felt that there was more to it than "just some aches and pains" so I introduced myself as a fictional spirit-guide with no smell whatsoever. He chuckled a bit and said, "well, everyone needs some spirit-guiding from time to time I suppose."
I guess my introduction broke the ice and we began to talk a bit. He was suffering from a few inherited ailments that previous injuries have just aggravated. He wasn't sick or injured enough for the doctors to consider him disabled which he said was fine with him because he didn't want to be considered disabled. He said that he could work, but because of his problems he worked kind of slowly and had to take breaks every now and again. He said this caused him not be able to hold down a regular job.
I asked what he did to get by, and he just shook his head. He said that previously he had gotten by by doing odd jobs for folks, but these days people couldn't afford to hire him. I told him that I knew what he was talking about. That the economy sure was bad these days. He said that it wasn't just the economy. That it was the government mindset. He said that the government is bleeding people dry.
"If they're not taking from the people outright they're nickel and diming the people to death. People just can't afford to help anymore."
I nodded my head and told him that there was a touch of truth in what he was saying. This seemed to cause the dam to burst so I just leaned up against the pine tree and listened as he continued…
"It would be one thing if the government was using the money wisely, but it's blowing money on stupid stuff. The government is giving cell phones to people who are too sorry to work. The government is feeding and providing housing for people who are too sorry to work. I've been told there's even a website of lunatics on the internet that think the government should take even more from working people to give to do-nothings. Some people, like that crazy Gray-what-ever-his-name-is guy in Florida, claim that we can cut military spending on stuff like aircraft carriers. I say HELL NO! That aircraft carrier serves a purposes that benefits the entire country. It helps to ensure our sovereignty and freedom. Now tell me, how does it benefit the entire country to give cell phones to do-nothings? How does it benefit the entire country to essentially pay dumbasses who are too lazy to work to sit around and be dumbasses?"
I had time to say, "you've got me" before he continued…
"I'm struggling. I'm trying to get by on my own, but I can't hardly find any work these days because the government has taken the money that people would have normally paid me for doing odd jobs and given it to those do-nothings. Now don't get me wrong. I'm not against giving a hand up, but it's not the governments place to give hand outs. If someone wants to just hand over money to someone sitting around and doing nothing then more power to them, but you shouldn't take from other people to give to someone sitting around and doing nothing. It's stupid. Maybe the politicians like that call for such silliness need to give up all of their paycheck AND any kick backs that they may or may not be getting."
By this time you could tell that he was feeling a little better. Since I still had some place that I needed to be I told him that it had been good talking to him, but I had to go. As I reached to shake his hand I also handed him a $20 bill. The only cash I had on me. He immediately protested. He said he didn't want charity. I assured him that it wasn't charity. That I was just paying him for spending some time with me and keeping my mind off of other things. He finally took it, and we said so long.
I know I'll probably never see that gentleman again. Even though I remember him, he probably doesn't remember me - if he's still alive. I have no doubt why I gave him my last bit of cash. It was because he was trying to make it, and I wanted to make sure he did. It was because I really did care. If I didn't care I'd just demand that the government take money from somebody else to give him.
Courage,
FlippyDoo
