“I’m a great-grandpa. I have been paying into Social Security since I was 14. Just give me back the money I put in and some employers contributed along the way, it’s a tidy six figure sum.”
Stop taking it from my pocket and we have a deal.
“Now which of you wants to come out here and be responsible for $100,000,000.00 worth of projects a year, spend half or more of your days away from home every year, go days with sometimes three or four hours of sleep, work all hours or be on call, 24/7 until the job is done, away from family and friends, on location?”
Well, let’s see. I paid for my school by working 4 months out of the year out at a camp, every summer where I lived in a tent. 3 or 4 hours of sleep? Try getting up at 330 am and getting off the job at 9 or 10, eating, going back into your tent and trying to sleep enough, getting up and doing the same thing the next day.
Rain or shine, snow, even.
I’d wager you get paid substantially more than I did.
“I haven’t had a vacation nor a sick day in over 20 years.”
Sounds like heaven. I get slowdowns because they don’t have enough work to keep me going.
“Benefits come out of pocket, because I’m a consultant.”
Same here.
“Try wintering in North Dakota with no running water, skinning your own dinner, heating/cooking with wood, and using an outhouse.”
Sounds like life growing up. :)
“If you can keep up, you might be able to have the job you seem to think I have ‘stolen’ from you.”
I just want a shot, that’s all I ask. I’ve done very well for every employer and client that I’ve ever worked for but none of them have taken me on full time.
There’s so much that I can do, but it gets discouraging when you are relied upon so much as a volunteer, but no one is willing to hire you. I can do the work just fine and I’ve been paying my dues.
Let's get something straight, here. I haven't taken a dime out of your pocket. I haven't collected any Social Security, and may never.
There are no guarantees in life.
There have been bad years, where the savings are consumed, and then you start all over again from scratch. I have done that a few times over the years. It is feast or famine, and not uncommon to pay more in taxes one year than you made the previous one.
Still, the money I have paid in is a healthy six figure sum.
I just want a shot, thats all I ask
Maybe I missed it, but what do you do?
You have a shot.
If you make choices that force you into a box of being dependent on others for a job then it is time to make different choices.
Most successful people have a long string of failures early on. They learn from their failures, make adjustments and trying again. What separates them from other people is they get up again when knocked down. They don’t quit. They may give up on the path/plan they’re currently on but they start a new path in a new direction based on what they learned from the last experience.
It is up to you and you alone. Not a “boomer” or anyone else can “steal” if from you.