On having money --

[DeepModem Mom]

I just left the drugstore, where I was picking up a prescription. There was a young mother in line ahead of me, with the most adorable baby boy I've ever seen. When she reached the front of the line, there was a lot of conversation, and she went to consult with her husband, who was sitting off to the side. After a few minutes she went back to the pharmacist, and asked the price of the needed prescription. She rejoined her husband, and they both shook their heads, with sad looks on their faces. I had the price of the prescription in my purse; it was a small expense to me, but not to most people. I quietly took the money out of my purse and placed it in the mother's hand, motioning for her to go back to the pharmacist, which she did. The young father came over to me and held out his hand to shake mine. After I got our prescription, I went over to another aisle and cried, cursing health care in this country.

I don't know why I tell this story here, but I suppose it has some connection to the recent threads about the evil rich. I don't know if I qualify as among the "rich" at which these threads are aimed. I was born into a lower middle class working family; my husband into a level below that. But we were born smart; we were quick learners. And, I admit, we wanted some of the things we'd never had. And we wanted them for our children. We've made some money.

We've never, ever had the idea that we've got ours, screw everybody else. We like to think we're more generous than most. We like being able to help. My political position is obvious. I'm on this board a lot. We contribute to political candidates and causes supported here. My husband is less vocal, but is, at heart, to the left of me.

Do we have a not ostentatious, but very pleasant house? Yes. Do we like being able to travel, and buy books and art, and even some nice clothes? Yes. Should we give all we have away? I guess we should. But if we had, the baby would have gone home tonight without his medicine.

I don't excuse myself or any of the "haves" in this unfair society. I just wanted to tell a story, to my friends here.

[texpatriot2004]

1. As I struggle this very moment with my electric provider tears

run down my cheeks b/c of your story. Thanks for helping people when you can.

[BOSSHOG]

2. Beautiful story

and don't you dare apologize for what you have. My wife and I are "rich" compared to those in our community and we give a little here and a little there and that's okay. If you don't take care of yourselves how can you take care of anybody else? THANK YOU MY FELLOW AMERICAN.

[rosesaylavee]

3. God bless you -

Don't know about the evil rich threads - but I do know that money is tighter for most right now due to job loss and health care loss and whatever else is coming down on our heads this year. You did a kind thing and that couple will always ALWAYS remember your kindness. And I bet when they can, they will do the same to someone else.

Good job, DM Mom!

[driver8]

4. That is an amazing story...I would like to think that my wife or I would

have done the same thing! As a matter of fact, I am sure of that we would have.

It is sad that American families have to worry about being able to pay for necessary meds for their children. I have two small children and I cannot imagine the helplessness those parents must have felt. I have tears in my eyes just thinking about it.

Bless you for helping them...

[OldLeftieLawyer]

5. Well done

The best charity is the anonymous kind, and telling your story here will, I hope, encourage others to do what you did today. I applaud you.

I've always been fortunate enough to be able to act as you did in situations like this. There have been far too many, but sometimes they're as charming as a young kid buying some sort of junk gum or candy and not having enough.

This, though, where medicine is involved, this is just another act of monstrous disregard for poor Americans on the part of the government. Republicans and Democrats alike have blood on their hands.

You did good. And I'll bet you've taught your kids to do the same, as we did.

A big hand for you, fellow DUer. :applause: :yourock:

[applegrove]

6. Nice of you. Now next time - send that family to Canada - we need

to double our population pronto - as having a country strug out in a straight line, rather than a matrix, is awfully expensive on the infrastructure and our Prime Minister announced that we need another 10 Million - at least - right away.

[applegrove]

11. self-delete

[UncleSepp]

51. Seriously? Is Canada hurting for immigrants?

Is it that easy to get in? Dang. Might have to think about that.

[SammyWinstonJack]

58. I would think that if it were easy to get in, Canada wouldn't be

hurting for immigrants, if indeed they are. I suspect many, many Americans, myself included, would make a mad dash for the border.

[panader0]

7. Being poor

I live below the poverty line. I'm a single dad with three kids. Yet they are all healthy, all on the honor rol, play sports, and don't care that their dad is a bricklayer. I consider myself rich because of them. I own my own land and house (which I built) and count my blessings everyday. P>S> I think my kids will all be Democrats.

[renate]

16. that's beautiful!

P.S. I think your kids will all be Democrats too, but with you as a role model I know for sure that they'll all be (and already are) wonderful!

[annabanana]

29. Welcome to DU

Your kids have a good, hardworking, honorable Dad. It was you who built the country.

[lildreamer316]

49. Kick ass!

Kudos to you!!! There are few enough of you in this world. Welcome...........

[MissMarple]

8. An excellent point about having money. You can share.

:hug:

[salinen]

9. I'm not rich

but compared to the homeless guy who lives in the forest a couple blocks away I am. And the homeless guy is rich compared to my friend who is dying of brain cancer.

[npincus]

32. so sorry about your friend

[Catherine Vincent]

10. You and your husband are good people.

Thank you.

[FormerRepublican]

12. There's nothing wrong with having or making money.

The creation of the "evil rich" is not caused by money, it's caused by greed and a total lack of concern about others.

Clearly, from your story, you don't fall into either of those categories. Thank you for helping.

[hyphenate]

13. Having money is not shameful

Wanting to deny others basic rights of life, is. And no, you are not that kind of person. That's why you're here, and not at freeperland. There are lots of wealthy people who have a lot of money and no heart, and there are lots of wealthy people who have a lot of money and plenty of heart. The difference is to see how they treat those of a so-called "lower station" in life.

Those who exhibit kindness and compassion are a whole different breed than those who accumulate wealth and tell everyone to fuck off. They find ways to help people whether it means monetarily or not.

There's the banker who gives coffee to the derelict on the corner every morning before going into the office; there's the girl who gives her muffin to someone who obviously needs it more than she does; there is the celebrity who chooses to spend the week in the tent with the homeless, to make the point that while he has a roof over his head, he can relate to those who might not be so lucky; there is the doctor or lawyer who goes to the clinic or the legal storefron twice a week to offer his services prop bono--these are the ones who are separated from the bullies, the arrogant, the yuppies who only think of themselves and whose wealth can only contribute to their own selfishness and desires.

If there is any consolation, it is that those who accumulate wealth but do not understand the role of each of us in society, are condemned to forever wonder why they have no true friends when they are needed. For those who have the spirit of generosity, there will never be a friendless time.

[givemebackmycountry]

14. DMM You get a warm hug from me

The truly sad thing is that this country, the alleged "greatest country in the world", is anything but that.

We suck.
We are a bunch a greedy swine, who could give two shits about some woman who can't afford drugs for her child.

I really feel for her husband, I can imagine how he must feel, not being able to provide the drugs to help his little son.

That would KILL me.

No one gives a shit about the poor.
Well, no one except for us.

I am happy, and PROUD, to say that I would have done exactly the same thing.

I have a good job.

I was born to modest, maybe even less than that, parents in a blue collar area of New York City, Astoria Queens in 1955.

My Dad worked hard, and I remember seeing the rent check when I was like seven years old.

It was $32.00.

I too, earn a good living.
Despite my New York City Public education, I'm smart and I managed to get a good job and hold onto it.

I donate to organizations that make me feel like I have contributed to a worthy cause.

I try to help.


I'm a sucker for the 22 year old women whom I encounter several times a year, in the parking lot of a mega grocery chain.

I can tell if I'm being hustled.
More often than not, I am not being played.
All they want is five or ten bucks, and usually I send them away with twice that.

Thank God for people like you, and so many others in this great community that is DU.

In the future do what I do.

As I slip the few bills into her hand say...

"Promise me you will never vote Republican"

One by one Mom, that's how we change things.

God bless...


:hi: :hi: :hi: :hi: :hi: :hi: :loveya: :hi: :hi: :hi: :hi: :hi:

[petgoat]

20. All they want is five or ten bucks

Right. With heroin so cheap these days, it's all they need.

Sad but true.

[schrodingers_cat]

67. Dearest pet goat, take it from one who knows,

not all homeless children/young adults are junkies, but just poor kids turned out into the world from one home-centered hell into a larger but equally hard universe that does not provide them with the basic food / warmth / roof / and bathroom that most of us take for granted every day. Please count your blessings while exercising restraint of judgement. Much thanks.

[petgoat]

69. You're right, of course. I'm overgeneralizing from sad personal

experience.

But I'm right too. A lot of people whose limited incomes force them to
choose between drugs and rent choose to forgo rent. And junkies are the
smartest, most charming people in the world. They have to be. People
need to exercise judgement. There is a kind of charity that only
sustains the agony.

[brokensymmetry]

15. Nominated. Kicked.

:kick:

And a tip of the hat...

[Midlodemocrat]

17. DMM. I would like to be your friend.

We apparently share the same views. Both my husband and I have been extremely fortunate in terms of finances. We both work very hard, but we have been able to reap those rewards.

We live in a house that currently has a market value of my salary, let alone my husband's. We drive very sensible cars. We eat at home. We vacation approximately once a year when my husband's company 'entertains' in a nice resort.

Why do we do this? Why not buy a big house, fancy car? Because I couldn't donate my money or my time the way I needed to if we did. I NEED to be able to give the mom in front of me in line the money that she might be short if her food stamp card is overdrawn. I need to be able to provide clothes for an unfortunate family. It is what drives me, what keeps me alive.

I don't advertise what I do, because I was raised not to. I was lucky enough to meet and marry a man who was more than willing to listen to my thought processes on this and forgo the beach house to help the less fortunate.

We are blessed. We are blessed because we were born white, middle class and had the advantage of caring, stable parents who wanted us to succeed. Not everyone has that, but I am doing what I can to level the playing field.

[cally]

18. I'm glad you posted this

I too am fortunate that our small business gives us a good income. When we started it, we almost went bankrupt a few times. Now it's a success. I'm very lucky. I too donate, volunteer, and try my best to give back. Thanks for sharing your story and being the person you are who helps others and is compassionate.

[ornotna]

19. If you don't qualify as rich I don't know who does

Bless you.

[Gregorian]

21. You're an angel.

I am almost in tears over this. And that is coming from someone who tears up several times in as many decades.

Your act is of much greater importance than many realize. And I would do the same. But too many, I am affraid, might not. What I mean is that there is a world that could be. I'm sorry, I can't say what I want to.

Whenever I see poor people, I well up inside with empathy. My mother and father came from poverty. We are now quite well off. Even though my father lives like a king, he treats his gardner as though he were one of his own. He is generous. And friendly. And humble.

This is something I value more than anything. Kindness. Thoughtfulness. I love all people who operate out of those contexts.

It hurts so much to think of those who are hurting. Everywhere. To diminish that, to whatever degree possible should be our goal.

I honor you.

[Miss Chybil]

22. Having money is not a sin.

Making money is not a sin. Making money off the backs of the poor is a sin - i.e. slavery, payday loans, refusing to raise - or even pay - minimum wage, cutting health care benefits and increasing CEO compensation packages, driving a company into bankruptcy knowing you will be saved by a golden parachute, starting a war and boosting your stock options over 3000%, voting Republican so you can get out of paying your fair share for the privilege of living in this great country, using its streets, and knowledge garnered in its public universities among other public services. Never be ashamed of well earned money. Having money is not a sin. It's how you get it, and what you do with it that matters. Also, "Giving it all away," is not a requirement. You deserve the fruits of your labors, as everybody else deserves theirs.

We live in a democracy and operate under a free enterprise system. People should be rewarded for hard work and good decision making. People who can't work, or who can't, or don't, make good decisions need a safety net. They need not live at the level of comfort, semi-opulence, or opulence, as those who have been born into, or made, good money, but they must be able to access health care, food and shelter. This is the mark of a great country - a great people.

Don't be ashamed of your accomplishments, be happy you are able to help.

[progressivebydesign]

50. It's not the size of your house, it's the size of your heart.

You're absolutely right on about everything you wrote, about those exploiting the poor. I hope the tide is turning in America, and we can make amends to our poor and working class soon.

[Broken_Hero]

23. Great story...

I have a few of my own, but thank you for sharing...:)

[skids]

24. Hey! You'll never be able to afford a Hummer THAT way...

...giving money away to perfect strangers. Sheesh. And forget about the yacht!

Keep yourselves stable and happy when you can. If you're the type to help people like this occasionally, you'll do more good over the course of your lives that way. You not only gave them money, you gave them a sense of community and human decency -- you added a stitch to the fabric of civility that prevents this country from becoming one big gang war.

[CitySky]

25. you remind me of a story of

a check from one friend to another in need, with the memo line just: "Pay it forward." Fabric of society indeed.

[natrat]

26. it's called organized crime at the helm

[DenaliDemocrat]

27. You are a good person.

I was born poor, and God gave me a gift of being smart. I have done pretty well (although the last 18 months have been getting harder and harder, to the point of sucking the fun out of life because no money for anything other than the basics). It has been hard, there have been sacrifices, but never have I stepped on someone else so I could ahead. What I have I EARNED! There is no shame in that, nor is there any shame in enjoying some of the fruits of your labor.

There is nothing wrong with having money. There is everything wrong with being greedy, being jealous of what you have, and stepping on people to get richer. You did a good thing.

All of us are trying to get a little bit ahead, to have what you have.

From those who much are given, much shall be demanded. You continue to answer the call and don't you dare feel guilty about having money.

[rockymountaindem]

28. God bless you.

That's most kind.

[ultraist]

30. Charity donations

It's always hard to know how much to give.

We all have to give what we feel comfortable with and honestly, I struggle with this sometimes. I suppose it's guilt. We certainly don't need everything we have.

Many people I know say giving away 10% of your income is reasonable.

[npincus]

31. i'm honored to know you at DU, you're a very kind person

if only everyone were so the world would not be so fucked up

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

33. That is what it's all about. Thank you.

I have had to halve prescriptions at the pharmacy in the past. Thank god those days are behind me. You did a wonderful thing. K&R

[gristy]

34. Three days ago I was in the laundromat and a lady in a bicycle helmet came

in and asked someone near the door how much a wash was. When she heard the answer she hung her head a bit. I pulled enough change out of my pocket for two loads, stacked it on the counter next to me, and said "Here you go, have this. I know how much the cost of a load has gone up!" She hesitated, but then said thank you and came in the door the rest of the way. I walked away and she picked up the money and went to work

A week ago my dad and I were approached in the parking lot of a big mall and a guy in need of some dental work asked for money so he could put some gas into his truck so he could get to his brother's in a town nearby. It sounded like a story. Regardless, I gave him $5 and my dad gave him a few.

So I'm feeling pretty good about myself, but sorry for all these other folks...

There's a lot of damn poverty in this country.

[nashville_brook]

35. this is a great example of how humanity will overcome...

it comes from the people like you. the world needs YOU to spread this message. we need this story so that we can make it "history."

so we can bury it in history.

deep modem mom -- please take a moment to read my piece,

THE HOMEBOY REVOLUTION: families as economic units instead of sexual units
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5114942

we can take this country back. i know we can b/c i KNOW we can't stand much more of these stories. every other time i go to the pharmacy i witness an emotional event with someone not being able to afford a medicine they need for their family.

this is not civilized. we must demand better.

[DeepModem Mom]

43. Thanks, nashville_brook -- I read every word...

of your provocative post, The Homeboy Revolution, and it's giving me a lot of food for thought. The concept of "family" has certainly changed in today's world -- why not the concept of "corporation"?

[mandyky]

36. I doubt people here hate all people with money

What I hate is the rah rah cpitalism people who think this economy is just peachy. Yes, some people are getting rich but many more are sinking lower into and towards poverty.

Thank you for helping that family!

[Bluerthanblue]

37. Sweet Lady,

the difference between you and those who value wealth over everything- (what some would call affluent to extreme) is that you realize that you DO have much,- and aren't afraid or insecure about it- so you give from the heart- and freely, not expecting anything in return- or out of pity, rubbing others faces in their lack.
Wealth is pretty ...'relative'. Having lived on TANF, been destitute with children, but always having shelter, I consider myself to have always been more wealthy than I ..'deserve'- (regardless of how the government may have measured my financial or social standing). This is hammered home to me more and more. The Afghans who were eating grass to survive, the Nigerians and Sudanese who fed their children maggot infested carcasses, simply to survive. When there are those in this world who have no home, no water, no prospect of anything changing, while just today my Senator (Judd Gregg, already a millionaire) can win 800,000+ dollars, and joke about how his wife will spend it, and grin like the cheshire cat, while folks like you quietly share with compassion and genuine empathy... well, let me say, you ARE rich, but in ways that cannot be measured in dollars and cents- and I hope you find your pot is always full, like in the fables of those who gave from a pure heart- and never lacked no matter how much they shared.

Thank you for sharing both materially, and by reminding us all, that we can't judge people by their 'group' but as individuals.

Pay it forward- BE the change- you are doing that- and I'm so grateful.

[lumberjack_jeff]

38. Noblesse Oblige is a high-order virtue.

"The honest poor can sometimes forget poverty. The honest rich can never forget it."
G. K. Chesterton (1874 - 1936)

[karlrschneider]

48. G. K. could have added

"...the venal rich never think about it."


..

[rumpel]

39. It is such a wonderful thing you were able to help that family. We all

seem to have a love-hate relationship with money. Money after all is either just a piece of paper or metal, how ironic that the same material that would be Kleenex means life or death to many.
What is most important I guess, is how you relate yourself to money. Why do we hate money, or people who have money, is quite often, because some of us use it to humiliate, abuse or over power other fellow travellers in life (corporations, certain people of power, ehem, and everyday crooks)
We tend to to see the ugly side of the use of money and the consequences thereof and automatically term money as "dirty".
However we have created a society where everyone depends on money to survive.
I now believe that in order to help and share with others, one has to have money. As long as the money you amass is earned in an ethical an honest way and one does not indulge in excesses there is nothing wrong with having some.
It is how you utilize your fortune that matters, and I think you are doing wonderfully.

[proud2BlibKansan]

40. Bless you

How sad that this is what our country has come to. But until we get it fixed, thank God we have people like you here to lend a hand when needed.

[tallahasseedem]

41. Thank you for doing that....

stories like these give me hope for our future.

[ArchTeryx]

42. That's a beautiful story.

Thank you for sharing it. It brightened my night significantly.

I myself am a poor graduate student in virology, though one day I aspire to be at least a little bit toward the wealthy side. I do this for a simple reason...to give back to my friends, my family, and many other nice folks who have done so much to keep me afloat through very difficult economic times for me.

But even now, I try my best. I cook knockout crock pot meals and occasionally hold little dinner parties for my friends. I have offered my apartment this winter as a warming station, since I do not pay for heat (we use a radiative water system; very little control, but it keeps us pretty toasty here in Ohio even during the deep winter).

I share what I can, and they share what they can. And together, I think we'll survive the dark times that I feel very strongly are coming.

-- ArchTeryx

[porphyrian]

44. It's not how much money you give...

...it's that you care and are willing to do something. People who really care are rare because this world eats them up and spits their husk into the gutter. You just helped a family survive for another paycheck in a place that's trying to destroy them. You should feel happy and proud. Don't feel guilty for what you have, just don't forget the responsibility that comes with the power you have. Use your power to give power back to people like that family.

[Dee625]

45. The healthcare crisis is this country is incredible

I'm glad you had a chance to make a real difference. So good that there are people like you that will.

I'm trying to help a 20 year old essentially sentenced to death by Medicaid. They have denied twice to pay for an operation that he will die without. The dollar figure to get the operation - around $400,000 or more. I am at a loss as to how to get that.

Today I turned down a call from the DNC for donations. I said I couldn't justify giving money to anyone else for the above reasons. She at first tried to talk me into donating as theirs was a timely cause. Hello, less than 50% chance or surviving 2 years as of this past Feb. The DNC caller agreed mine was more timely. I told her "I realize you are working to fix the cause of this problem, but I must concentrate on a symptom right now".

[lildreamer316]

46. You are

1)a blessed person
2)making me cry
There but for the graces go I........

[progressivebydesign]

47. Thank you for your lovely story. It was definitely time for that post. n/t

[Nordmadr]

52. Stop it! I Will not tear up at work...

You did a good thing. Your heart is true.

"You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him". -James D. Miles


"A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer,
it sings because it has a song". -Maya Angelou

Olaf

[Gelliebeans]

53. Thank you for caring

Those people will never forget what you did. Your kind gesture spoke volumes. :hug:

[minerva50]

54. Our doctor used to give my mom handfulls of "samples"

We were a family of eight with not a lot of money to spare. When mom took us to the doctor it ussually wasn't one child down with an infection, but 3 or 4. Our Doc kept the drug company samples in the cabinet to hand out to us or other families in need. With the costs today, I know many families cannot cope. We need a better system.

[wicket]

55. Bless you DeepModem Mom

You rock! :hug:

[ComerPerro]

56. Good story, but unfortunately

there are not nearly enough people like you in this country.

[MN ChimpH8R]

57. Best story I've read in a while

The problem is not having money per se, it is feeling entitled to having that money. The central difference between Dems and 'pukes that have money is that Dems recognize that not everyone does and are concerned with something greater than "more for me." A 'puke never questions why s/he has money and can't imagine why s/he shouldn't want more - they feel entitled to even things they don't have.

:applause::applause::applause:to you DMM!

[IndyOp]

59. You were kind, and I am grateful for what you did -

and I think we ALL need to get a whole lot busier at giving sizable amounts of our income away. Whenever there is a concentration of money, things -- there is somewhere else a lack of resources. The wealth of the US has been built on the backs and graves of people around the world. The wealth of the rich in the US has been built on the backs and graves of poor and middle-class people in the US.

Our selfishness, self-absorption, is killing our world, killing our souls. We get used to a certain level of comfort and don't feel that having that much is selfish, that having much is rich.

There are millions of people in India, Africa, Latin America who live in cardboard boxes or less.

No one in the world should be living in any house larger than 2,000 square feet until everyone in the world has a house.

And, yes, I think that the percentage of income given away should be steeply graduated:
If you earn between 30,000 - 50,000 give away 10%
If you earn between 50,000 - 100,000 give away 20%
If you earn between 100,000 - 250,000 give away 30%
If you earn between 250,000 - 1,000,000 give away 40%
If you earn over $1,000,000 per year give away 50%.
No one's labor is worth more than $1,000,000 per year - any money earned over that amount should be given away, every penny.

Sounds stupid, probably, but we have to become good models for each other and support each other in living with less by choice -- give it away now, give it away now.

Do you wonder whether you have too much money? Give big. Still concerned? Give bigger.

Is having, holding onto too much money an evil? Yes.

[IndyOp]

60. Winter is coming... I cried for America

<http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5121101>

[Iowa]

61. Good post DeepModem Mom!

Your posts frequently attract my attention and you always have something important to say.

One thing about the neocon agenda that is particularly sinister is this: they are deliberately creating an environment governed by the principle of "every man, woman, and child for one's self" - and at the same time they are desperately trying to privatize charity by handing it over to churches and the like (something I strongly oppose, but that's another issue). Clearly the Republicans know that by eliminating the safety net they create an atmosphere that causes private charity to essentially dry up. People are afraid to give away a significant portion of what they have because they know they may need it for their very survival.

The people behind this neocon movement are evil. What they are doing they do knowingly. Those (like you and I) who have worked hard and accumulated assets are not. We're simply trying to survive under an increasingly dark and ominous system. And, like you, we'll all do what little we can to help others along the way while trying to avoid going under ourselves. My hat is off to you!

[pitohui]

62. you sound like a nice person

however i'm tired of hearing abt how being smart & working hard will make you financially secure since clearly it doesn't work for everyone, including some ppl v. close to me

luck pays a huge, huge, huge factor in whether or not you end up rich

luck is inherently unfair

ppl are entitled to be angry that they have to take a hand-out instead of being able to get it on their own

you can't assume everyone who can't pay their bills is stupid, many asperger's people are extremely bright but their personality traits which are beyond their control make them ineligible for most or in some cases any opportunity to keep a job & get ahead, & that is just one not too uncommon disability that happens

i don't want charity, i want entitlements, there is a difference between having to take a hand-out from an individual & having a secure right to medicine for yr child

the anger at the rich is not a personal attack on you, i'm sure you're a fine person, but ppl have reason for their rage

we shouldn't have to rely on a few coins tossed at us by the wealthy

[earth mom]

63. I'm happy you did what you did, it was a wonderful gesture...

but I'm so sad that it was necessary in the first place. When people can't even obtain medicine to get well or put gas in their car to go to work or keep the heat on in the winter...our society is broken. We should ALL be able to earn enough to pay for the necessities-not the luxuries-of life! :cry:

[Blue_Roses]

64. what an awesome thing!

God bless you.

[Helga Scow Stern]

65. Thanks! We all need to help each other, rich or poor.

I know a lot of us here dig deep into our nearly empty pockets to give a little something whenever it is needed.

[OKNancy]

66. I Knew It!!

I knew you were a wonderful person. All these years I just figured you had to be kind and generous.

Well-to-Do Democrats are different!!!! :-)

[Obamarama]

68. I know exactly what you mean, DeepModem Mom...

I was born into a family that was considerably wealthy. On my father's side of the family, both his mother and his father came from fabulously wealthy backgrounds. Fortunes trickled down and my father, his brothers and sisters, and his cousins all inherited separate, impressive chunks of that wealth.

I saw the dysfunction and pain that most of them lived in, and I have to honestly say that a great deal of their despair and dyfunction had to do with their unhealthy attachment to their wealth and the status and privelage they believed it afforded them.

I thought long and hard what I would do with the share I would one day inherit and how I would spend/invest it. After my father died, I received a considerable inheritance at age 27. I'm not going to reveal the amount, but I certainly would have never needed to work another day and still would have been able to live relatively comfortably.

What I decided to do with my money shocked my family and friends, and distanced me from a large number of my family. I guess they thought my share of the family fortune was theirs to control, but they were quite mistaken.

I worked with an actuarial firm to craft an investment program that would guarantee me $35,000 per year income through age 80, adjusted for inflation. This, in addition to my career earnings, would be all the money I figured I could ever need/want in my life. Surely with a yearly salary, in addition to a guaranteed $35,000 per year, I would be able to live a solid, middle class, comfortable life.

My partner and I divided the remaining portion of my inheritance up between 7 charities, non-profit organizations and foundations we think are important. Meanwhile, my siblings and cousins are, for the most part, carrying on the selfish family tradition of lavishing themselves with fabulous trappings of inherited wealth. And, I suspect none of them are truly happy. Divorce is sort of expected, alcoholism is rampant, and they just seem like sad, sorry people.

Me? I can sleep at night knowing I have done something meaningful and helpful with my share of my inheritance. I'm not wealthy by any stretch of the imagination, but I still realize I have so much more than many will have. And, I have the satisfaction that I have helped many people.

I don't share this expecting a pat on the back, but I think DeepModem Mom really makes an excellent point. Many of us have as much as we really need, or more. One does not need to have a great deal of wealth to become a philanthropist. Those of us who "have" have an obligation to help those who have less, little, or nothing at all.

Sometimes all it takes is to have the price of a prescription.

Thanks for restating that lesson, DeepModem Mom.

[Lorien]

71. I've seen first hand exactly what you are talking about in regards to

many of those with extreme wealth. The divorce, alcoholism, lonliness...I've never understood why having wealth so often brings an unhappy obsession with, well, having (greater) wealth. It was a very wise and selfless thing you did. Making your own way in the world brings with it personal satisfaction, and the small sum you've set aside for yourself gives you a little safety net of security. Plus it really does seem to be true; what you give to the world often comes back tenfold.

I'm so tired of the wealthy and "comfortable" being demonized here on DU. Not all should be painted with the same broad brush. I once posted to a thread about salaries that I had been making six figures during the Clinton era, but now make just a little more than those at the poverty line. The only reply I got stated that I must have been a republican when Clinton was in office. No, I'm a lifelong democrat; having money doesn't corrupt all who have it. Just look at the stories on this thread, and think about some of the wealthy contributors to MoveOn and the DNC!

[Tatiana]

70. God Bless you DMM.

:hug:

We need more people like you in this country. Don't even think twice about whether you "have too much money." It's what you do with it that counts.