It's not starting a flame war to ask a legitimate question. I did write a
long piece so you may have missed the part that indicated that I was fired
from that job.  I held onto my Navy job longer than I should have too.  I
just couldn't bring myself to apply for disability retirement.  I fought it,
and they fought me.  The one thing that feels good about the Navy job is that
I didn't really let them push me out.  I waited until I knew I couldn't do
the work anymore.  When I finally did leave, it was long before my disability
retirement was straightened out.  In fact, I had to go out on sick leave.  I
had never abused it before and that was a blessing.  But I went a year
without that retirement.  Social Security approved my disability claim right
away, but my federal retirement just kicked in this month.  I was without
health insurance from June 5 to just last week, and didn't even have the
medications I was supposed to be taking.

I have a different disability from you and my disability is progressive.  I
was no longer able to do the work Chester.

In fairness to my part time job, I have to say that they kept me on as long
as they possibly could -- a lot longer really.  They knew I loved it there
and loved them, and they tried their best to accommodate me.  I know it was
tough for them to tell me I couldn't work there anymore.  I knew I couldn't
too, but I loved them too much to make the decision myself.  I was killing
myself trying to stay and do even the little things that they whittled my job
duties down to.  It's a very small business though, and they need every
employee to be able to do everything.

I didn't eat for a month over that.  I wanted to die, I tell you, and I made
myself very sick by not eating.  It wasn't my choice to stop working.  It
wasn't my choice to get thrown off the face of the planet.  That's how it
felt at the time.  It doesn't quite feel that way now, but it did then.
There's no anger in these statements.  I'm just telling you how it felt at
that time.  I love all those people.  That's the only thing I can do.
Resentment would be like eating rat poison and waiting for the rat to die.

Now I just do what I can do.  Sometimes I can just feed my animals and that's
it for the day.  This week is pretty good though, and I seem to be able to
get more done.

Next week I might be in bed much of the time.  That might go on for several
weeks That's why you guys are so important to me.  I have friends in the
neighborhood who help me if I can't get to the store and stuff, but you guys
are my lifeline.  You are the people who really get what this whole thing is
about.  We have a pretty good situation here though, and the fact that we all
have disabilities is sometimes just a coincidence.

Betty

In a message dated 11/22/2000 7:37:56 AM Eastern Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

> Betty,
>
>       I don't mean to be a problem or to start a flame
>  war or anything like that, but if the store job was a
>  fun job for you with the way you described it, then
>  why give it up.  If I find a job that I really like
>  doing, then they're going to have to literally kick me
>  out to stop me.
>


Betty
aut viam inveniam aut faciam
"I will either find a way or make one."