Nearly two weeks ago, we began the Great Stucco Project. We finished it six days later, and I’m still trying to recover physically. Yesterday I went out and finished my raking project, took four hours including emptying the trailer, and I thought I was gonna die. I wasn’t even carrying heavy things, I was just moving back and forth on broken ground and I ended up with blood in my socket. That’s not good.
I’m thinking of doing something bad. By my standards, very bad – in fact, a violation of a dearly-held personal belief. I’m thinking of asking the state for something.
See, nothing short of a new prosthesis is going to fix this. Yeah, I know about memory foam. My socket is stuffed with the shit. It’s not helping. I’ve got sores on my stump that never heal, and they’re not even the problem. When I spend a lot of time moving around I feel like somebody’s chewing my stump with pliers. It can take days to recover from a few miles worth of walking.
My mercenary, self-justifying side tells me it’s not my fault the cost of these damned things has skyrocketed so. My first prosthesis cost $500. Now forty years later they’re up into five figures. I live on $30 a week. I could raise five hundred dollars for a good cause if I ate nothing but rice for a while, and I’d willingly do that to maintain self-sufficiency. I’d never live long enough to raise $10,000.
My “death before dishonor” side says, well, death before dishonor. This feels like dishonor. I’ve said some pretty extreme things about taking money, services, or anything else from my oppressors. Meant them, too. My views on this subject are extreme, but honestly held. Expediency isn’t supposed to change my actions. I don’t prescribe for others, I don’t judge what other people do. Everybody’s got to live in his own skin, and with his own decisions. This is mine.
My mercenary side asks my dbd side how it’s gonna enjoy spending the rest of its life on crutches. Crutches suck. Like, almost worse than death suck. When I was young I spent many months on crutches and I still remember them. My dbd side, on the other hand, enjoys being able to look in a mirror and not despise what it sees there.
I’ve got friends who, far from judging me for the temptation, continually urge me to do it. They may be right. I even promised I would, only to find myself extremely reluctant to keep that promise.
It’s taken me the past week just to look up the number of the vocational rehabilitation office in my state. I couldn’t bring myself to make the call.
It’s a problem.
Why not? It’s not like it’s real money anyhow. Just think of it as doing your part to collapse the system.
The bastards are taking my money regardless. I’d rather console myself with the thought that it’s going to you instead of funding a federal study to determine if cocaine makes Japanese quail engage in sexually risky behavior (I truly wish I was making that up). Tell DBD to STFU.
I’d do it yesterday.
Why? Because those of us who don’t have the guts to do what you are doing are paying for it. Yeah – to the tune of 24% just in Federal Bullshit Taxes. Even after they squander 90% of our taxes – betcha’ your readers would more than cover the cost.
Sometimes you just need help.
Yo. I’m one of the ones out there paying taxes. Lots of them. Yes, I know i could opt out, and I’m not complaining….its entirely my choice. But I’d rather you get a new leg on my buck than pay for any of the crap they are spending it on…in fact….if I wasn’t paying taxes, I’d be more able to just write you a check…..
You are one of the most fiercely independent cusses I’ve ever met. Get yer new leg. At least I will have some little satisfaction that some of the money I am having extracted from my paycheck by force is actually helping somebody who is worthwhile.
You wouldn’t even be considering this unless you really *needed* it.
Get the leg, dude.
Well, you already know and understand all the pros and cons, Joel; there’s nothing I can say in that regard that would be news to you, so I won’t.
What I will say is this: it would take far more than that to disrupt your bona fides in any meaningful way. If you choose to go that route, you’re already on record with your reasons, and that’s more than good enough for me. Among the various things that keep me visiting here, at the top of the heap is that you have taught me things about the difference between actually living free, and mindlessly tallying Purity Points.
What’s the problem? Hell, I think you are obligated to do it. Consider it a guerilla action, using the enemy’s resources against them. Get your new leg, use it to kick them in the ass, and move us that much closer to the great cleansing.
Irony, it’s what’s for breakfast.
Now that I think about it, you should get a couple of spares while you are at it.
For cryin’ out loud Joel, let the state buy you a damned leg!
It’s all of our money, YOURS TOO, from back in the bad old days, and
I’d be happy as a clam to think some of what the bloodsucking bastards extort from me AT EVERY EFFING OPPORTUNITY is going to support something worthwhile for a change.
Get the damned leg already! Don’t make me come down there …
Give A Man A Leg Up
Things like this are why those of us who pay taxes, do (well, and jail). Not to feed perfectly able bodied lazy folks, to help those that actually need it with things they cannot obtain on their own. It’s one of the extremely rare instances where the system can do some good, so let it.
Hi Joel,
I don’t know if the information below will help. But here are some possible alternatives, in case you have not tried these places yet.
The Barr Foundation
136 NE Olive Way
Boca Raton, FL 33432
U.S.A.
Telephone: (561) 391-7601
E-mail: barr@oandp.com
Limbs for Life Foundation
5929 N. May, Ste. 511
Oklahoma City, OK 73112
U.S.A.
Telephone: (405) 843-5174
Toll Free: (888) 235-5462
Fax: (405) 843-5123
E-mail: lflf@limbsforlife.org
You can also find a domestic funding fact sheet online through the Amputee Coalition of America.
Whatever you need to do, just do it. I pay enough in taxes to know that I’d feel really, really happy that some of it might to go to a good cause.
feralfae
I agree with Trey!
Been trying to join the chorus for hours but I’m among those who haven’t been able to post comments on your new site. (Trying from another browser now after enabling scripts didn’t help.)
Anyhow, yes. Just do it. In fact, take not only the leg but disability payments, food stamps, whatever the gummint will give you. And get yourself away from all that manual labor, which I fear is going to hurt you worse in the long run than it hurts already.
Add one more from me. Get the leg, and like somebody said above, kick their asses with it.
And wow … what John Venlet said. Hope everybody follows that link.
Let me tell you something. I rent a room from two grown children. Welfare babies, one of whom faked crazy to go on disability. Now, I am not complaining about my situation, I made my bed and I sleep in it. Use the resource available at your disposal. Since I’m forced to pay charity, let it go to someone not afraid to work despite a handicap.
Joel- Do what you gotta do, man. And have a clear conscience. If you have to, after you are on your new leg, claim temporary insanity and say some “Hail Lysanders” and you will be absolved of anything you might be feeling against yourself.
If I had the money, I’d buy you a new leg or two just so you wouldn’t have to go through this internal torment.
Joel, can you post your landlady’s address, to which we can address mail to you in care of her? Or, can you email me that address and let me know if it is allowable for me to post it at my place?
All the years that you worked and paid taxes, you bought it, you paid for it, you’re entitled to it, now take it. As everyone else has said, you are the person that I’d give my tax money to if I were given a choice. There is a time and place for principles, but you can’t walk on principles and remain a functioning human being.
PS. If someone else that you cared deeply for was in the same situation, like Landlady or Claire or Ian or grandotter, you’d see the clear path in a heartbeat.
John, I’m certainly not going to publish Landlady’s address. She’s armed and she knows where I live.
I’ll put the tip jar button back up, though.
FF, thanks for the contact info. Emails sent.
Count me as a taxpayer who doesn’t mind helping a self-sufficient person in a time of need. Do what you need to do.
Do it Joel!
Like everyone else has said- You paid for it already, plus everyone who’s paying the cheats want someone who actually WORKS to get something from us.
Hey Joel,
Keep walking on your stump until you fuc*n can’t walk and then you won’t be able to work either.
Get the new leg.
There is honor in accepting help when necessary. Accept the help.
John
Put the damn tip jar back up, Joel.
I’ll look for that tip jar, Joel, but would you also email me landlady’s address so that I can mail you a package?
Go get your leg, I’ve had to pay into the damn system for the past *mumble* years. Someone decent ought to be able to use it.
kfk
John:
Email sent.
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If the slave eats the food provided by the master, does that mean he has accepted his bonds?
Get the leg. Do what you need to do.
Get the leg Bro you earned it!
China
III
Joel, not to try to dampen the clamoring voices, your 2 ft Prosthetic leg doesn’t look all that complicated to fabricate. I’m sure between you and Ian, you two could turn one of these out over a weekend. If my diabetes goes that route, I’d have no problem turning 20 bucks of PVC Pipe and a couple of pop bottles into a working leg. In fact I’d love to start a movement where amputees, could do this for themselves and any friends who wanted it.
This is something you can do for yourself, Joel! You have the brain, you have the hands, you have the skill, you have the information!
And, you have the friends!
Yo, Joel, Cowardly Lion here. Don’t know much about physiology (as the song says), but if you’ve got a problem with your current leg then you need to get it fixed asap.
My first inclination was to offer financial assistance, and it’s still on the table, but previous comments have made good points about gov money being spent on much less worthwhile beneficiaries, and it would be nice to feel good about .0000001% of our taxes. So go for it. You want to be able to dance on your enemy’s graves, don’t you?
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