The rest of the day

I just got back from taking Fred to get his haircut. After he wanted to go to the dollar store and get some SOS pads. Once there he wanted to look at Easter cards. He would start to pull one out and I would tell him “That’s for daughters, No that one is for your grandmother. Here are the general ones Fred”. Then I would read the captions out to him to help him figure out what the wanted. “Easter is a beautiful day for a beautiful person, Happy Easter” I would read in a voice loud enough for him to hear. Who knows what someone going by thought. It took a while but he finally picked out three though I had to put back envelopes as he would grab four and think he only had one.

With that done he asked me to take out to Angola Rd to see what a restaurant he saw advertised looked like. He had seen an ad in the Sunday paper telling of a breakfast for $2.99. He had me go in to see if they took credit cards. They did so I went back out and told him. “Do you want something to eat Bob?” Fred asked. I wasn’t really hungry so looked at him and said, “That’s up to you Fred, I won’t argue with you”. We went in.

The menu was four pages of information. Fred peered at it and then would turn the page and peer some more. I offered to read it out to him but he kept peering. Finally I started reading it out but he got tired and said he would have the meatloaf special that was on the board as we came in.

It took quite a while for the food to come. Fred was about ready to leave when it finally got to us. I had ordered a Reuben and was not impressed. The meat loaf Fred got was just great to him. He had two big pieces but couldn’t eat them both so gave me one. I wasn’t impressed. I was glad when we got done. Fred wasn’t doing to well, coughing and having a hard time breathing. It was time for him to go.

On the way home Fred said he wanted to transfer some stocks to his niece. Then he wanted to give her one of his grave sites but the grave yard said he couldn’t do that. “I’m going to go out there and give them a piece of my mind. I can do what I want with that. I own it by God. I have a deed” Fred went on. It is evident he is realizing he was at the end of his years, or at least close. I commended him on taking care of this stuff now because it can get nuts with probate and stuff. I was surprised to learn Ohio doesn’t have inheritance tax. I got Fred home and made sure he made it to his apartment. Now I have about a half hour before I go get Wayne and take him to the Zeph Center. Better call him now and make sure he is up.

I’m at the Zeph Center now with Wayne.

This is a comment I posted on John Scalzie’s Blog “Whatever”
Grown ups think ten, twenty years ahead. They consider the long term consequences of their actions. Children generally worry about right now. “I want that piece of candy now”. Politicians are the same way. What will make the voters happy now so I can get elected and I will sell them out in the future for what I can get now.
Regarding the Social Security jungle I have personal experience. I have been fighting them for 3 years on behalf of a veteran I met at a homeless shelter. He has Primary Progressive MS, the worst kind, and despite years as a pipe fitter, welder, and truck driver he was homeless because of the effects of his disease. Now he has to fight for the money he paid in the system and Social Security is resisting him all the way. It is a nightmare full of corruption as doctors paid by the government failed to even mail in their diagnosis of this man, resulting in another denial.
Now regarding who pays taxes. Read John’s Essay “Being Poor”. (I’m sure he will provide a link as I’m not literate enough to) Those who have much and will be hurt the least pay the smallest proportion while those who struggle to pay the rent, buy food, and just survive pay the largest. The poor don’t want to be poor but poverty breeds poverty. There are some long term answers but few have what it takes to implement them. This is the world I work with and have gained an understanding of.
Again it takes long term thinking to break the cycle that traps generations in poverty though there are the impressive few who struggle out of the mire and rise above their adversity.