There But For Fortune

Trey Smith

One aspect of life that most of the rich, mainstream pundits and government officials can't seem to wrap their heads around is that calamity constantly bays at the door of the poor. While the well-to-do certainly may face uncertain days due to a natural disaster, bankruptcy or major medical crisis, most of them have the wherewithal to weather the storm to a certain degree. But this is NOT the case for those who live on the margins.

For those of us who live near or below the poverty line, a calamity is defined differently. While any of the things listed in the paragraph above meets our definition, a lot of other things do as well: losing a job for any length of time, being sick and missing work for more than a few days, a major automotive repair, a leaky roof, a serious plumbing problem, a cold snap in winter or heat wave in summer and the inability to pay the electric or gas bill.

This point is underscored in an article by the Associated Press in relation to the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy and how it has jeopardized the health and safety of those po' folk who happen to fall into the categories of "the elderly, the disabled and the chronically ill." While this storm hit everyone in the impacted areas hard, the hardest hits were taken by those who can least afford it.

As someone who has been poor and disabled myself for many years, I have to admit that I have been damn lucky. I have had a safety net -- my middle class family -- that far too many others don't have to fall back on. In my 20s and 30s, my mother and maternal grandparents came to my rescue on more than one occasion with a needed loan (at 0% interest), not a handout. In my 40s up until the present time, my savior has been my father. He has helped Della and I when we've faced several financial predicaments.

But my dad is retiring this year and all of my other saviors have already gone to their graves. What's more, at age 79, dad probably won't be around that much longer. So, Della and I soon will get to see what it's like to swim in the ocean without a life preserver. I'd be lying if I didn't tell you that the big ocean looks damn scary.