This 81-year-old still works at Home Depot to support herself and her 90-year-old husband
This 81-year-old still works at Home Depot to support herself and her 90-year-old husband
Hi,
Welcome to the Universe. You get to exist for a comparatively extremely short blip of time before you return to the nothingness forever. Despite incredible advances in technology and subsequent major increases in productivity we're going to need you to continue working right up until you return to the nothingness. Thanks for your cooperation!
At least its not being presented as a feel good story. Still remember bush brining up the person with three jobs as inspiring.
Gotta love it when nepo babies tell us how virtuous working is.
Whew. I'm so glad this couple wasn't subject to the horrors of socialism! Only capitalism can keep them gainfully employed until they are near-death. No other economic system can even compare!
Don't forget that capitalism is literally the only viable economic system, full stop. Before its advent in 1463 by Bernard H. Capital, nothing worked, anywhere, for tens of thousands of years. The world was in turmoil. Cats associated freely with dogs, the Keebler elves were not properly enslaved, and humans lived on a diet of pine needles, grubs, and sea water. Pure madness.
Remember: Capitalism came about from rich merchants and lords realizing that citizens were starting to get murdery about their tyrranical monarchs so they basically said “hey, what if we make a system based on money that technically everyone has but where the shear amount of wealth we have in comparison means that we’re basically still monarchs without monarchy?”
Which, to relate to your comment, is to say that the system hasn’t meaningfully changed and we’ve had “capitalism” for a long, long time(and it’s sucked the whole time it was happening!)
Man that sucks.
However I have to be that person and say I know people who wasted tons of money on stupid shit and made dumb choices even though they had advisors helping them, and are working at Walmart in their 70s because of it. Those people shouldn't be rewarded with regular Joe's money. Now, billionaires can foot that bill, like they should everything. But dont punish the 99.9% (which is what will actually happen. And why people are afraid of liberals in office. No one seems to get that, and thats why the right keeps winning. It needs to be clearly stated in the lefts playbook that anyone making under a billion dollars will be left alone. Then they may have a chance.)
Keep in mind these are not my thoughts, these are my observations of the Common Person in red states.
in before a republican tries to sell this as excellent work ethics, patriotism and american dream
On Lemmy?
LOL
loser country
My eighty year-old parents are driving for DoorDash. In my car.
If they don't, this supposedly 'free' country of ours will allow banks to force them onto the streets where they will be left for dead.
Fuck capitalism.
I feel sorry for the 81 year old and her husband. However, they have made nearly every wrong financial decision over most of their lives.
They've truly had some horrible timing and luck, however I truly hope their situation improves.
Why is it that every comment chain about an unfortunate event has at least one callous person who is obviously victim blaming but trying their best to downplay it?
I'll ask you directly, why are you doing this, partial_accumen? Are you trying to convince yourself that this couldn't happen to you? Are you perhaps trying to convince yourself to stick with your soul-sucking yet decent paying job? What's your motivation?
Were they supposed to use their crystal ball to predict the 2008 grift and subsequent rebound?
In your list, nearly everything that comes after that is a symptom of trying to navigate financial hardship.l and being old enough to face age discrimination in the job market.
A quick Google search of West Virginia 55+ one bedroom apartments go for $450-$900.
Bwah ha ha. This may surprise you, but one of the reasons apartments are so cheap in WV is that there are no jobs in WV. And definitely not jobs for octogenarians.
Bwah ha ha. This may surprise you, but one of the reasons apartments are so cheap in WV is that there are no jobs in WV. And definitely not jobs for octogenarians.
If they are living in WV, as an example, they don't need the additional income from a job to live. I'm suggesting they move *so they don't have to work.
Sorry but your last point is absolutely asinine. It ignores the hardships caused by relocating, the fact that rural hospitals like those available in WV are continuously shutting their doors as they are deemed unprofitable (the husband has health problems), and the fact that, based upon a wealth of international studies, the isolation from social support networks that they'd assuredly face, is pretty much a death sentence.
So, from that point alone, your statement could be paraphrased as: "They don't need to live in such an unaffordable place; they could just die instead."
the isolation from social support networks that they’d assuredly face, is pretty much a death sentence.
They are THIS CLOSE to homelessness right now. Is homelessness for an 81 year old woman with a 90 year old husband not also a death sentence?
Sorry but your last point is absolutely asinine.
....and...
is pretty much a death sentence.
What do you call being forced to work at 81 (with a 90 year old non-working husband), and only being able to work 4 of the 5 hour shift because you're exhausted? How about the fact that they are THIS CLOSE to being homeless if she doesn't work? They've had bad luck and made bad choices for most of the second half of their lives. We don't have any good solutions left only least worst.
You're saying that moving is a death sentence. I'm saying homelessness is, which is what is in their near future.
Pretty much all rural hospitals will close when the Medicaid cuts take effect after the next midterms.
Who gives a shit? No one should have to spend their 80s working
I understand the sentiment but what he is saying is also important. Imagine, starting tomorrow everyone above 60 will get 5000 dolars every month. Will this couple in particular be able to live with it or will they make more bad choices.
I'm 100% pro supporting the retired community but Financial literacy is also very important, otherwise it doesn't matter how much money you give them.
It's so important to teach finamcial literacy from an early age
edit: just to add I'm not american. My.mother is 70yo and in my country retirement is supported by the government, but she still makes shitty choices from time to time.
Who gives a shit? No one should have to spend their 80s working
They are today still making choices which are forcing them to work. They might be able to not work if they move to a cheaper area and give up their expensive car.
Cool. A majority of people my age are in the same boat without being cursed/dipshits.
Can’t give a fuck about a poor boomer. Fuck em.
Welcome to what younger generations realized a decade ago or more. Most of us will never own a home or retire. I plan to end it when my life becomes unbearable in old age rather than be a slave to the system. That’s why, even though we (spouse and I) financially save for the future, I live for now. We (collectively) have no future. Accepting it is easier than being depressed about it.
Note: this doesn’t mean I don’t do what I can to try to save our (collective) future. It’d be selfish not to try.
I'd say two decades ago, maybe even three. Pensions gone, social security inadequate, ira/401k sorta a joke.
My retirement plan is assisted suicide (in Canada, of course). Feels weird to be saving for death, but this is the reality we live in. What else can I do? Wait until I can't work anymore and can't pay my mortgage and hydro bill? And then what, hang myself in the barn? Fuck that, I want to go out high af and feeling no pain.
I plan to get a small bomb for when I had enough. Have some issues though so far.
"I feel trapped working, but I can't stop working," Lydia says, sitting up to cuddle her basset hound, Brigette. Her husband, Bill, gives her a kiss but lets her be. The 90-year-old would like to get a job to help Lydia pay the bills, but because of health problems, there's little he can do.
"I feel so guilty that I can't work," Bill says.
"You can't work because of your age and your health issues," Lydia snaps back. "There's no sense feeling guilty about it."
Ditch the pet. As much as I used to love animals, I now see them as a ridiculous expensive hobby and unethical.
I don't picture myself at 80 scooping litter, stepping in vomit, brushing a cat every two days, having hair everywhere, having the cat take a crap while I'm preparing my food (every damn time), having the cat fart in my face every morning when I don't get up quick enough for its tastes, buying expensive food because the intense flavorings they use make the cat refuse store brand food, having to get expensive vet check ups, the medications, the city wanting medallions, etc
I can't even imagine having to drag a dog outside and picking up warm shits, the smell...
'Murica
On Reddit this would be an uplifting story about how Home Depot employs the elderly to help them pay medical bills.
Most of the MSM outlets report it that way, and it always feels ghoulish as fuck to me.
This generation needs to pick itself up by their bootstraps and remember that work dignifies. 81 years young! /s
I'm about to turn 52 and I've known my whole life that I'd never get to retire.
Yup 42 prob die at work. Lucky its just me and I don't have to worry about anyone else. Just turn wrenches til I croak haha.
Similar boat here but I'm only here until my parents go, then I'm done. I don't have any intention of continuing this bullshit until I can't anymore. I didn't ask to be here, I don't want to be here, I just don't want to break anybody when I go.
If anyone locates a gofundme for them, please let me know. Couldn’t find one myself.
Edit: what kind of ghoul downvotes this?
She's obviously selling her scripts if she's surviving at that job.
wow if i was biz insider i would be really nervous about printing stuff like this
I hate seeing old people working at establishments like grocery stores. It is the saddest representation that our system does not work. They should be living their life traveling, spending time with family, or gardening. No one should have to work into their 60's.