"No more talking about the homeless"

[technomadness]

When you criminalize something you incentivize snuggling

Well, that’s a good thing isn’t it?

Smuggling. I am at war with autocorrect. I type too fast. It is winning. Send help.


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[TrainChaser]

I don't know, Cammalu........ It sounded good to me.

[rvpopeye]

This just in.........
Snuggling now illegal in the lower 48 !


I've volunteered the YARC for enforcement duty.
"You there Mr Kitty ! Hit the floor !"

Poor Tigger and all the van dogs ...

[Ballenxj]

When you criminalize something you incentivize snuggling

Well, that’s a good thing isn’t it?

Smuggling. I am at war with autocorrect.  I type too fast.  It is winning.  Send help.

 I have been known to refer to it as auto-incorrect.

[Heidi Mull]

Heidi talks about luck, but I see a lot of not giving up and pursuing possibilities that turned out to be “lucky”.  That’s pulling yourself up by the bootstraps.

And while you can have unlucky events— as everyone does— perseverance eventually results in success.

The way I see it, I was doing everything *possible* to pull myself up by my bootstraps, but I needed more help than what I could give myself.

While I was going through it, I had a steady stream of people telling me I just needed to actually put a little effort into getting my life together, and I'd be fine. I just had to "work at it a little". I was blamed for my own situation throughout. Or, people would get to know me and say "Oh but you're so organized, you're so driven, you're trying so hard, I'm sure something will work out." And they would continue living their comfortable life while I struggled to find my next meal, and would continue to for the next several years.

I know many people who persevered as hard and for as long or longer than I have, and did not make it.

I do see that my efforts played a role in it. But effort alone isn't enough.

The example I like to give involves plants. All plants strive to live, to flourish. If they aren't, if they are struggling or dying, we acknowledge that it's due to environmental factors. Too much sun, not enough nutrients in their soil, not enough water, etc. Plants are resilient, and persevere through horrendous conditions, and it's amazing to witness! But there is a limit to how much they can withstand before going under. And we never blame the plant for not trying hard enough--we acknowledge that the environmental conditions were simply too harsh for its survival.

People like to believe that perseverance and creativity and grasping all opportunities eventually results in success and happiness. Part of what contributes to this thinking is stories like mine, because yes, I beat incredible odds and overcame horrendous obstacles and yes, my efforts played a role in that. But what you don't see is that for every inspirational story of someone who makes it, there are 50+ others who never do.

I see it because it's where I came from. And it breaks my heart.

[technomadness]

The people who didn’t make it, didn’t persevere. I have some first hand experience with this, helping people in dire straights turning their life around.

Unfortunately too many people think that they shouldn’t have to put much effort in. Society often tells them this too.

They think that their life is someone else’s responsibility, and when they get help, like I was giving, they think that means it’s my responsibility... but my responsibility only extends to my commitments, not someone else’s “needs”.

I’ve known a lot of people who were far more lucky than you who squandered it.


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[Heidi Mull]

The people who didn’t make it, didn’t persevere.

The people who didn't make it died.

[TrainChaser]

"... and when they get help, like I was giving, they think that means it’s my responsibility..."

YOU'VE BEEN ADOPTED!!!  You're their new mommy! 

Congratulations! 

[technomadness]

"... and when they get help, like I was giving, they think that means it’s my responsibility..."

YOU'VE BEEN ADOPTED!!!  You're their new mommy! 

Congratulations! 

Yeah well that attitude will shut things down quick. I’ve helped a lot of people who were stuck where their real problem was they had never been equipped with the knowledge to get out of the hole they were in. Some people you give them lots of opportunities and all they have are excuses. Others took them and if they weren’t exactly right for them found ones that were. And some have gone from dirt poor (been there myself) to successful careers.

I have sympathy for people who can’t see the opportunities out there. It’s hard when you’re in a hole to see the light. But it is there.


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[Wabbit]

op·por·tu·ni·ty
ˌäpərˈt(y)o͞onədē/Submit
noun
a set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something.
"we may see increased opportunities for export"
synonyms: chance, lucky chance, favorable time/occasion/moment, time, right set of circumstances, occasion, moment, opening, option, window (of opportunity), turn, go, possibility; More
a chance for employment or promotion.
"career opportunities in our New York headquarters"


Maybe there's another word for what you mean when you say opportunity? What's a word that is, opportunity without chance due to one's perseverance. Does that make sense?