Poverty

I live in Michigan, where Winter has taken hold for an extended stay this season. Unfortunately, I ran out of heating oil. I have enough to get more delivered, but the minimum delivery is 150 gallons. So I have been picking up five gallons a day at my local country store (which stocks #2 fuel oil) in an approved can. I have to drive the six miles to the store, but it saves enough cash so that I can afford a delivery when I get my next SocSec payment.

I would have bought the oil in February, but I'm two years behind in property taxes and had to save up for that. I would have pre-bought heating oil, but it took me seven months to save for a new car. New only to me, it's 17 years old but in great shape -- four cylinder Volvos are wonderfully reliable (they don't make them anymore).

The Department of Human Services on occasion has helped me with heating oil. But this is Michigan where no winter heat in these modern times can kill you, or at best make you hurting very badly. The frozen pipes alone would put the hurt on anybody.

Hang in there, my friend. Do what you can do to get through it. I went on SocSec two-plus years ago. Before that I was living off food stamps and the help from friends and family. I also did odd jobs and sold some stuff that has some value.