Resilience - The Broken Man
Sometimes I try to find words to describe what I am witnessing around me and the things that inspire me.
Sometimes you are better off letting the words to those who are in the mix.
In response to my blog “Broken Man – We need him now more than ever” , which received incredible response there is one that just blew me away.
These are not my words they are his – one of those broken men who is picking himself up again..
“Speaking as what you term a “broken man” – I lost everything, dreams out of the window, in debt up to my ears – it took a couple of years to get things back on an even keel and begin to accept the loss but, having done it once, I couldn’t imagine working for someone else again. Working now on a new project with confidence having taken a knock but with my vision and determination intact……..maybe not broken, perhaps just wounded!”
Broken Man, thanks for getting up again
I salute you
Greg Canty is a partner of Fuzion
Tags: Broken Man, Fuzion, Fuzion Communications, Fuzion PR, Greg Canty, Irish Economy, Positive Thinking, PR, Recession
Greg Canty Fuzion Blog 
April 7, 2011 at 10:00 am |
Its not just the people who have lost their jobs that are broken. I earn mid 30K, working two jobs, one full time and one part time, putting down about 46 hours a week between the two. I have 4 kids, a mortgage that isnt killing me, but does put me under pressure. My wife earns min wage working part time (only so that she can be there for the younger kisd getting out of school etc), and between us we have financially nothing.
I am educated to an honours degree standard. I have won awards. I have had a job every year of my life since I was 13. I work damn hard. My wages cover the mortgage, but once the Universal Extra Tax (because that’s what it is), food and bills/expenses come out and after the pay cuts (on top and pretty rubbish wages anyway), I have nothing. Not a penny.
I dont have an iphone – I have a crap phone I got from someone for nothing when they upgraded a work phone), I dont smoke, I dont gamble, I dont attend gigs, plays sporting events. I dont buy clothes, I dont have Sky Sports or the Movie channel, I dont buy takeaways, I dont have a passpost, and even if i did I couldnt afford to go anywhere. I have a 6 year old car that is in need of repairs. If the ECB increase rates then I am going to be further in the s**t, despite having a job.
And then, I see my unemployed neighbours come home from their week in Spain, and take their gorgeous flat screen telly out of one of their 2 cars. I know that their subsidised rent is being paid for by my taxes, that their dole is being paid for by my taxes, that their takeaways dinners and plasma fu**ing telly is paid for with my taxes. Their house is up for sale at the moment, so if they get a council house then their subsidised rental house will be furnished with a €5000 grant from the council. Paid for by my taxes. By your taxes. Not theirs, cos they dont pay any. Nothing. Not a button.
So you see, its not just the unemployed that are broken. Yes, those that have had things and lost them have been hit hard, but the average person, busting their hump day in, day out, getting up so that mtheir kids are fed, warm, given shelter and everything that they can to give them a decent life is suffering in a cruel and barely tolerable manner.
I’m not looking for sympathy, this isnt about Woe-is-me, but this is my reality, and I’m sure that I’m not alone. The Celtic Tiger has done very little for me when it existed, and its totally screwed me in departing.
April 7, 2011 at 10:18 am |
Thanks Billy – I hear you, it ain’t pretty.
Somehow I would prefer to be in your boat than your neighbours – that scenario just won’t last
Fabulous post.
Greg
April 7, 2011 at 11:20 am |
Thanks Greg, but there is still the issue that if I cant pay my mortgage of about €1500 a month, I, my wife and my kids lose EVERYTHING. My neighbours, in their rent allowance bubble lose nothing. And those in a council house, they pay waht? About €27 a week? Thats about €100 a month. Their YEARLY rent is less than a month of mine. Nothing lasts for ever, except a council house.
April 8, 2011 at 9:40 am |
This is so sad, but I am on rent allowance, after 8 years of working hard on a successful business, everything fell apart when I found myself dealing with a crisis pregnancy. I didn’t attend antenatal appointments and I had an emergency delivery followed by months of being unable to cope on my own. I want to get back to work when my daughter goes to school, I cant afford to work now because I have to be there for my daughter 24/7. I have no family support.
But I know what you mean, I’m surrounded by people who buy what they want and then complain that welfare doesn’t pay their bills.
The other thing is, if you did lose EVERYTHING, you really mean you would lose the house that you live in, but you would not really lose everything, you would become one of us who is assisted so that they can have a roof over their heads and feed their children. I can understand your situation, but it might have a lot to do with house prices, banks, mortgages and not the people you despise next door.
You would be entitled to the same assistance they get, and although they look to be rolling in it, it doesn’t mean that they are financially responsible and I’m sure it will catch up with them at some stage.
April 11, 2011 at 6:29 am |
Hi Anne – it looks like a few things have gone well and truly against you lately – your time will come!
Keep that head up.
Greg
April 8, 2011 at 2:14 pm |
WOW – we ALL salute you!
April 8, 2011 at 11:24 pm |
billy,
I was so affected by your post that i just read it out to my husband. We are both blown away by it. this indeed is the sick existence that we are living in at the moment. What you describe in relation to your neighbour is just so wrong – on so many levels.
A friend of our rang social welfare the other day – telling them that he had just lost his job – has 2 kids and a mortgage. He was told his entitlements – and he is entitled to almost as much as he was earning while he was employed ( well 50 euros less) – and he was in a well paid job…..
where does that leave the rest of us??
April 9, 2011 at 10:23 am |
It does show you that it will cost the government nothing and save them plenty by really driving a pro-employment agenda.
thanks for the comments guys