We’ve had lots of bad weather here. There is flooding everywhere. But it’s been an awesome day. While I was taking the recommended detours around the closed roads and soaking up the magnificent scenery, I had John Locke, Socrates and Confucius playing in the background, while I passed our University of South Florida football team practicing for the fall season. Go Bulls!
I had just left the house after watching two nominated movies at the Sundance Film Festival and was in the middle of a deep conversation with myself about the true meaning of the 10th Amendment to the Constitution. All the time knowing that there are plenty of great places to park a truck for free, in the shade, near the beach – no – right ON the beach! All the while enjoying an awesome Mexican meal and German chocolate cake made on the engine block of my new used truck.
But, then I opened my eyes and damn if all that was pure BS. I had just left the County office dropping off a grant application for a low interest loan for a new roof. It’s been six weeks since I filed for unemployment benefits and the State of Oklahoma still can’t determine if they want to pay me or not. I received a letter approving the payments along with another letter stating I don’t qualify – at the same time in two separate envelopes. That would be denial under Oklahoma law, because according to the Federal guidelines, I already qualified. I’ve held off on the FL State food stamp application process, because I just finished faxing 42 pages of support documentation to the Social Security Administration.
I’ve been a customer of State Farm for over 20 years. After back to back hurricanes, they pulled out of FL, screwing their loyal customers and many of their agents. I laugh when I see their commercials on television. The only business they held onto was auto insurance. Home coverage was either cancelled or farmed out to third rate shyster insurers. These companies have tried everything possible to back out of what State Farm handed them. One legal method, for now, is to notify the homeowner that if they have not recently replaced their roof, the policy will be cancelled.
With the economy being in the toilet, few policy holders are in a position to hire a contractor to replace their roof and ensure continued coverage. So people are asking the government for assistance. I’m one of them. The office that administers such “loans” are overwhelmed with applications. The unemployment and SSDI (Social Security Disability Income) people are swamped as well. That’s what happens when the President and Congress are utterly clueless how to create jobs while corporate profits are high and the banks are hording gobs of money.
I still maintain positive communications with my former employer. If these knees would shift into “go” mode, then I would consider getting back behind the wheel. No more flatbed, but certainly a box. Unfortunately, that “process” will take time, far more than I anticipated. But I say NGUNS – never give up, never surrender. I wrote my Congressman. It has helped. He has power and is not afraid to use it to help his constituents. That’s how I found out about the roof grants. It’s amazing what his staff knows and we don’t.
Being without health insurance is challenging. I’ve fallen a few times on the job – a couple of occasions I lost consciousness. I’ve “slid” off a load or two. I’ve been lucky. I managed to get up and get back into the truck and recovery. I never let it interfere with the job. I always knew, if I needed to see doctor or call 911 to get to a hospital, I had good coverage. No more. This weekend when, mysteriously, I found myself unconscious on the kitchen floor, my glasses smashed and my right eye bloodied. No calling the doctor. I’m recovering, but there should be low cost or no cost coverage available. Just in case of an emergency. Oh wait, I already had an emergency.
It’s a day at a time, right now. As more forms, appeals and applications come in, they are turned around rapidly. It ain’t no paradise. Things happen for a reason. I am in a better position now than ever to write about the realities of coming in off the road and in turn help drivers and civilians. Talk to most seniors, and they’re “experts” on benefits and the government. There’s a whole lot of resources our there, but are not “advertised”. You have to “mine” them out and doggedly pursue them. Get a denial, be prepared to appeal until until you win.
Like I said, never give up, never surrender. Kind of like the “Don’t tread on me” snake on the flag. I’ve always maintained that “fluff” will never give us legitimacy. The more people who have the coverage to write about their “realities” dealing with “our” government and life on and off the road, the better off we’ll all be. We’re in war here, too bad most people don’t know it.
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