Sob Stories

[Crockett]

It was a person I'd never met. Our eyes met and I blurted a friendly "How are you doing?' Wouldn't you know it. She told me. She's a widow whose husband recently died. She had to move from a rental house to make ends meet on one Social Security check. She found one decent apartment near where the church, shopping and friends she knows, but there is a limit of one dog. She has to choose between cocker spaniels. It's not my problem. Why do I tear up?

 

[Larry T. Spider]

It's sad but it's also all relative. The stories of Vietnamese parents of my students always amaze me. Their stories of living in refugee camps in Malaysia for years on end waiting for their chance to come to America to never see family members again are always touching.

 

[NEWDOC2002]

We are a blessed and spoiled bunch. Certainly a lot of the richest but even the poorest Americans don't know how good they have it. Someone in Bangladesh would laugh at us having to choose which dog to keep. Still doesn't mean we shouldn't have compassion on the woman in the OP story.

 

[Horn6721]

Croc

It is always sad when a loved one dies.

I wonder that in all the years these people lived togehter they did not sit down and fo over their finances and their future finances.


Are you thinking the gov't should do more for her?

 

[Dionysus]

In reply to:

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[Horn6721]

After rereading this I am thinking this is a joke.


There is nothing in that sob story to casue anyone to tear up
except the natural sympathy one would feel for the lost of a loved one.

 

[Larry T. Spider]

I see the sadness. An old lady who lost her husband only has two dogs left. She now has to choose which one to keep and which one to give away. I pretty sure any dog owner would see the sadness. The fact that she is completely alone makes it worse.

 

[Horn6721]

No larry T
according to the story she found a decent apartment near everything etc.
it did NOT say there is only one apt anywhere availlable to her.
To say this forces her to choose between dogs is simply wrong
sorry that does not rise to the crying level,

 

[Crockett]

Guys I honestly don't know much more about the story than you at this point and 6721 I'm not suggesting government intervention. Just a sad situation and a hard choice. If you've ever had two dogs, you realize that their relationships aren't just with you, they are with one another an separating them is harder than selling a pickup you once loved. Also, for the record, I didn't cry, which to me means the tears flowed from my eyes. They just welled up before I noticed myself looking unmanly. I didn't probe, offer help or go beyond expressing sympathy and wishing "happy surprises" in the coming year.
Again, the fact that sort of story has a different emotional impact on me than it does you, 6721, doesn't necessarily mean there's anything wrong with either one of us. I can accept that we see the world differently and care about different things. But the story is no joke. I may not be the world's greatest humorist, but I can be a lot funnier.

 

[Horn6721]

Croc
The thing is, according to your story, she has choices. The apt she might like to move into doesn't take more than one pet but unless there is information missing that isn't the ONLY apt ever she can rent.

so she might have to move into an apt that is not so oerfectly situated . so what? she gets to keep her pets.

Croc
What is the sad part of the story to you?That she found an apt she likes but that only accepts one pet?
Really?
No one is forcing her into that one apt are they?

The sad parts to me are that her husband died and that they didn't plan better.
For the record my dog is as important to me and I well understand she doesn't want to give up either one of them.
SHE DOESN'T HAVE TO
she just has to perhaps live in a different apr. mayvbe farther from the things she likes .
That is her choice.

 

[Crockett]

I guess I trusted the woman enough that she felt her choice was the only viable option. I didn't assume I was a lot smarter than she was and go into trying to help her examine all her options. Should she and her husband have planned better, and salted away more money? I have no idea why and how they made their choices. Maybe they had a lot of money and used it all up on medicare copays which for some medical treatments can up to way more than most people ever save. There are a lot of broke widows and widowers who spent substanital IRAs and home equity to keep spouses alive nine more months.
Again, I felt extreme sympathy and felt no urge to judge. If you choose to feel contempt, then you have an easier path around the suffering of others.

 

[Horn6721]

How ironic that you see pointing out she had choices as showing contempt.

Nothing you provided in your account of her situation suggests there is only one place to live
so why would you assume that?

Once again as I have posted EACH time any sympathy is for her losing a spouse .
If you see that as contemptible then you have a problem.

 

[Crockett]

6721 I certainly don't view you with contempt and sorry if I seemed to have ascribed malicious motives for your honest analysis, I think I somehow hear more of these stories than most because I project an aura that I listen and care. A lot of times people telling these kinds of stories want empathy, not solutions. I think I give that.

 

[Horn6721]

Croc
Thank you. I understand better. My sympathy remians with her loss and not with the fact that she can't move into the apt she seems to like best.


too bad more people don't stop and think of the future sooner.
yes in this case we don't know if they did plan and had an unfortuntate event wiped them out but thank goodness she does have SS and if she is still able bodied she can find part time work to help her out.

However too often as you know people spend like there is no tomorrow while they are making money, indulging themselves in everything they want not to mention doing it for their kids

then tomorrow gets here, they get to age 65 etc and wonder how they are going to live on their SS which was never intended to be the retirement fund.
Nothing in people's current spending habits suggests anyone has learned a lesson.

 

[theiioftx]

Very sad. I think we should enact an entitlement that guarantees payment for people to keep all the animals they want. Why not, we need to provide Sandra Fluke with birth control?

 

[hornpharmd]

if the dogs look similar enough she can just take one out at a time.

 

[viethorn]

She should keep the smaller one and give Rusty to me