OldIHC

What did you retire from?

Hmm, ask my kids and they would probably say "nothing". My Second Wife and I owned businesses that we took paychecks from and paid all taxes. Basically 24 years Of Janitorial and Dry Cleaning. I have held jobs since I was 14, always paid the taxes: Unemployment, Social Security and Medicare. I only collected unemployment for Four months. Now my Government seems to think that Social Security and Medicare are "entitlements" that were not paid for with OUR money. That is what happens when the government workers, no matter who, that do not have to live by the same "rules" as everyone else, have a better "retirement" than everyday people.

I'll add to that the present day feeling that people receiving SSD are considered to be playing the system, not people who paid into a system to help them if they were injured. You have to pay SS taxes, and then looked at like a leach if you have to collect.
I have a neighbor who worked all his life with a sever injury, lost his arm and most of his lower colon but continued to hold 2 jobs, he often had to be taken to hospital and finely his doctor sat him down for a long talk, and said if he didn't take disability, he has going to end up killing himself, still took a lawyer to get it, if he wasn't entitled, I don't know who would be. He was in his 60's when he was "forced" out of the labor market.
SS is not an "entitlement", it is a contract entered into between our government and workers, we pay in every paycheck, with the understanding that that money will be used to supplement what we can save ourselves for our "golden years". I've paid in all my working life, and **** sure expect to get something back. It is a separate tax, not to be comingled with income for a reason. I get hot when some in power refer it as an entitlement, like we are getting something for nothing.

My sister-in-law was returning to town after viewing the fire damage at their home. An SUV crossed over the center-line of the road and hit her vehicle head-on. She was taken to the big city hospital where she remains. She has a broken neck and pelvis along with broken ribs and lots of bruising. Her condition is described as critical. She did call her twin sister, my wife, to give more details.
It is thought the fire was started by a cell phone charger.
Life is not fair.

My thoughts are with you and your family. I don't even know what to say, But i hope she recovers. They are serious injury's, gonna be a long recovery process. Luke

MY god Nikki, she is having a bad run, I just hope the car that crossed over wasn't a self driveing Uber, they would tie up everything for decades.
I hope she recovers and is in my thoughts.

Thoughts are with you and your family, Life, It is an adventure that we do not have total control over. May the Doctors hands be skilled and may Your Wife's Sister have a full recovery, This is all our hopes.

“Life is truly a ride. We're all strapped in and no one can stop it. When the doctor slaps your behind, he's ripping your ticket and away you go. As you make each passage from youth to adulthood to maturity, sometimes you put your arms up and scream, sometimes you just hang on to that bar in front of you. But the ride is the thing. I think the most you can hope for at the end of life is that your hair's messed, you're out of breath, and you didn't throw up.”

― Jerry Seinfeld

The first steps of many toward recovering as much of a normal life as is possible has started. The recovery is going to be slow and painful.

Wow your SIL injuries must be awful. Can't imagine neck injury. Anyone does not realize how much their head bobs around until they have neck issues. Hope she heals well