Budget and Survival Skills versus In Sickness and In Health

The alternate title for this post is:
“Am I being callous, insensitive, lacking empathy, unsympathetic, cruel and unkind?”


Perusing my eMail Inbox and quickly glanced at a question in one of the messages that made me chuckle. It was about what your knee-jerk reaction is when faced with financial problems.

• When experiencing financial difficulties does your instinct immediately prod you to cut back?

 
Well? I guess so! But more than likely my “cutbacks” happen because there's no money! Not sure my “instinct” was necessary. ((O.o))

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On a serious note, the question provoked my memory recall. A while back, was watching a popular talk show once and it was rather disturbing. It's disturbing that people who do things that don't make sense are always “ill”. This woman supposedly had an “illness”. She would buy stuff she didn't really need!

• If you're filthy rich and you have large barns to store all of your worldly possessions, then it doesn't matter. You would be called a “shopaholic”.
• If you bought a load of crap and had the decency to give it away because you realized you weren't really using it, you'd be called “charitable”.

But when loads of crap are piled up in your house to the point that the place is a junk heap and you and your partner can barely see the bed you both lie down to sleep on and you're making your mate physically ill … then you're sick!

A team was sent in to clean the place up and the team actually got sick from breathing in toxic stuff – dust, spores, mites, who knows what! - from piles of clothing, etc. that had been lying around the home for years. Items bought from the store that still had the price tags on them!!!
 
Listening to the interviewer questioning this woman as to why she was buying things she didn't need and her response was … (not an exact quote): “Because the blouses were on sale and there were different colors available, so I bought one in each color.” 
 
The interviewer turns to question the husband and it seems he gave her credit cards for her spending purposes. You know? Grocery shopping, health and beauty needs, wardrobe necessities, things for practical living, and maybe an occasional gift or guilty pleasure luxury product.


Started thinking to myself. Don't know who the sick person is. The wife or the husband? Seems to me the CURE was taking away the credit cards. YOU CAN'T BUY NOTHING IF YOU AIN'T GOT NO MONEY!!!


It really perturbs me, that people do dumb stuff and get to write it off as an “illness”. OR … am I being insensitive to this poor woman who is clearly not poor because she can afford to buy things she has no need for, has no place to put them, and never even blinked at the thought about making a donation to a charity!!


(Just a rant. Thank you for letting me shout it out.)


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P.S. After shouting it out, friends in my social network told me that I was being a little bit callous and insensitive and that it was NOT OK.  If so, then I apologize.

May is Mental Health Month and That's OK!