Sunday, December 12, 2010

Cling to the Life Raft

While playing my kazoo, I got lost in the kudzu and ended up in Kalamazoo.

Well not really. A wonderful reader wrote me from Kalamazoo and I was having fun playing with the word.

A  pain pill and a pink crayon for entertainment....

I'm coming out of my fog. I hate taking prescription pills. But the pain got to me, and the screaming sent me in search of medical assistance. At some point, I have to go back to the doctor for more torture, (minor surgery) then I should be all patched up for awhile.

Maybe.

I decline most all medical intervention in favor of nutrition, herbs and alternative therapies. Only when the pain becomes so unbearable I can't get through my day or night without thinking about slitting my wrists, do I finally seek medical help.

My budget is so squeaky tight, while I try to expand my monthly income to a living wage, there just isn't room for me to support the medical community and drug pushers. Even if it helps me.

I am still paying every month on my old medical debt. The interest is piling up, the monthly payments keep increasing.

I have a book on how to tie knots. Some days I just feel like learning to tie the noose.

Lots of readers have written me with excellent suggestions and loads of questions "Why don't you try such and such..." Thank you for all the emails, support and suggestions. I will try most anything.

My current winter job which included free parking for my motorhome, is running out, thanks to the government knocking me out of work, due to unique local county laws in place we knew nothing about until we were citated. My winter job has evaporated 5 months too soon!

I've been frantically trying to figure out my next move. I've applied for work all over creation to supplement my royalties from book sales. Book sales are steady, but tiny. I haven't been "discovered" yet.

I compete with thousands of couples living in RV's that snatch up the park host and RV campground jobs. I keep trying and applying, meeting thus far 100% rejection.

Rather depressing, since I have extensive management, accounting and hospitality experience. I'm also surprisngly handy.

Some just never respond, no matter how often I contact them about the posted job. Many will finally admit, the position was filled.

Some are clearly running scams, like one campground that insists I come stay with them for a few months (at my expense, paying them monthly rent) while "We see if you like the situation".

It seems to me, if this is told to everyone applying for the job, that BINGO, you fill up your campground with hopefuls (paying monthly rent) for a job that may not even exist.

I guess it's a creative way to fill up your RV park! (Or is it really a scam?)

Many insist on couples only. My anonymous friend refers to this as "Two slaves for the price of one". Others don't like it that I spent 22 years overseas, preferring folks with recent American experience. Some require you to own a nearly new RV. Well if I could afford to live in a nearly new RV, I wouldn't need the work...

Some of the folks I compete with for these jobs, don't even need the money, but they are bored and want something to do all day.

Good heavens, I have plenty to do all day. I am never bored. I find life exciting and I stay super busy, sometimes to the point of sheer exhaustion. I write in all my spare time. I try to repair as much as I can around the motorhome. I try to figure out ten different ways to make one dollar stretch into ten.

I try to stay alive.

I keep writing and submitting and eventually tiny checks turn up. I just need to find a way to earm more tiny checks.

I just want to make enough each month to scrape by and keep the banks happy. I am accustomed to always paying my bills. The thought of not paying my bills, sends me scurrying for the knot book again.

This past year has been a very tough trial in humility, embaressment and near death experiences. I don't know how much longer I can hang on.

But I keep trying.

I just have this really odd sense that something great is on the horizon.

Somebody recently said "Yeah, you keep clinging to that life raft." I am not sure if they meant that in a good way or not. I like to think they meant it to be encouraging.

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2 comments:

  1. Glad to read that you are finally getting ahead of the pain. Hope the next phase of the ordeal goes better for you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi! I hope you're doing okay now. How's your medical payments? My best friend got into an accident two years ago and like you, she was broke. What I did was, I bought her some of the medicines she needs on my payday. Her mother was helping with the cash flow, too. I'm not sure, but I think they also applied for loans so she can afford some of the medicines. She's fine now.

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