Rip-in-the-pants/hole-in-the-shoe club
There's a holiday tradition that some of you must certainly be aware of which is practiced by many of us when we make our visits to the homes of friends and acquaintances. I made a holiday visit to some in-laws some years ago and found myself, to my surprise and amusement, doing something I hadn't done since I was a young man struggling to support my new family.
After I sat down, I noticed that I was covering the hole in my best pair of jeans, and self-consciously covering the hole in the top of my shoe with my other one. I hadn't had to do that in years. It happens that I'm just as cash poor as I was back then and my clothing budget was, again, a victim of the other priorities in my life that took what little spare cash I have and made it disappear.
So, there I was, embarrassed to have come into these folk's decorated home with part of my knee out and my sock showing through my shoe. I had to laugh to myself remembering how almost each and every holiday visit I was compelled to hide the consequence of my poverty from my hosts and their guests. I'm pretty good at it, but I wonder if anyone noticed? I guess they did. My wife and I had a discussion of this a while back and she certainly noticed.
Anyway, my point in raising this is that I've been thinking all night about
Trump claiming federal workers and others who found themselves bearing the brunt of Trump's petty, epic pout, actually wanted the government shutdown because his Wall is more important to them than feeding their families.
“They understand what’s happening. They want border security,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday, after he was asked what message he had for workers affected by the shutdown.
“Many of those workers have said to me, communicated, ‘stay out until you get the funding for the wall,”’ Trump said. “These federal workers want the wall.”
When I hear that, I invariably think of the little things that my family would go without because of limited funds. Not anything, in and of itself, that would devastate us if we went without, but things like toilet paper, socks, toothpaste, soap, medicine, gas, bus fare, razors, band-aids, antiseptic, food...
No one really knows how long Trump's inflated ego and contempt for the American people will keep them out of work. It stands to reason that their holidays are just that more challenging in the face of such an uncertain financial future. They certainly don't deserve to have their lives held hostage to Trump's demand for money he repeatedly promised Mexico would provide in full.
What's a shame is that we're left fighting over the few spattered remains from their pig's trough. We'd be in much better shape if we had a comprehensive package of job incentives and assistance, legislation proposed by Democrats that's been blocked this year, and, in previous years, as well. All we've managed, so far, is to try and pressure the republican Congress. We're seeing what we've known all along. They have nothing they care about except for their sweet selves.
I can use, and will gladly accept, all of the relief that legislators offer and provide. I imagine most of the folks furloughed, especially those workers who've found themselves in the membership of the rip-in-the-pants/hole-in-the-shoe club this holiday season, share that sentiment, as well.
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...I actually have experienced that a couple of time over the years (thankfully not in any formal business setting).
There you are in the bathroom with an emergency sewing kit, or in one case of my own, with a thin section of florist wire, making a fast repair.
Welcome to the club, Hav! 