atimetoshare.me

Those of us old fogeys in our 70s can laugh at this joke.  Some in their 50s and 60s might chuckle a little, but to those in their 30s and 40s, this is no laughing matter.  When Social Security was established it was the perfect solution for those who’d retire in their 60s.  At least it seemed so, but people weren’t living much past that, so they didn’t really have time to enjoy the benefits.

Unions pushed for pension plans and it looked like life would be cushy for most retirees, but those folks often didn’t live much past 65.  401k plans didn’t count for anything if you died before you had the opportunity to use them.

Now Social Security benefits have been renamed entitlements by the government.  I thought entitlements were like gifts from the government, paid for by other Americans? Anyway, that’s a whole different post.

Older Americans are now living much longer lives, but enjoying them less, simply because we can’t afford to.  Social Security is not enough by itself to keep up with the rise in the cost of living.  Many have to pay out of pocket for extremely expensive drugs to keep them healthy and alive.  The cost of food alone is enough to drive the elderly to eating dog food, but even that isn’t cheap anymore.

So if we want to eat, pay for prescriptions, co-pays, insurance, drive cars that aren’t falling apart, or wear clothing, we have to continue to work.  If you’re physically strong that’s not a problem.  If you’re an artist hoping to make money doing art, you’re considered to be enjoying a hobby which is of no real benefit to anyone.  If you have a mind and are still capable of creating solutions to problems, your ideas don’t fit the modern age of technology.

So what’s a person to do?  Many of our friends are going to heaven lately.  They’ve been blessed with eternal life and they don’t have to worry about anything.  I’m a little jealous.