h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

.....it works every time.


I knew it was a mistake to get up today. A couple of hours on, it was illustrated in spades exactly how bad an idea it was.

The bloke who did my Ad Pen interview from a couple of weeks back phoned me - "look" he says, "I'm not sure you really understand what you signed last week. I'm giving you another opportunity to consider - because I know that under the laws of the land you fulfil the criteria to have Court Proceedings taken against you"

(Amazing, isn't it? I fulfil the Criteria to be taken to court for a mistake..but I don't fulfil the Criteria to be considered disabled enough to receive extra financial help which would enable me to avoid making these mistake in the first place)

"Well, I'm still trying to get Legal Advice, but surely I can explain at court the situation and get it sorted properly there?" I siad, hopefully. Naively, possbily, too.


Anyway, we were both very polite to each other, and I said I'd have another think about it and get back before this afternoon. He even offered to bring the forms to me if needs be, rather than me schlep over to Canterbury to him

I rang my MP - his office referred me to one of the County Councellors.

I explained the situation to her, she said she'd ring round a few people she knew and get back to me

She got back to me. She's a rather flutilly spoken lady, with a lisp and an enthusiastic "We know best" sort of way of expressing herself. She doesn't sound to me like she's had a days hardship or worry in her life.

Basically, once the council takes you to court, regardless of any mitigating circumstances, the chances of winning a case are about 7 to the power of 230 and increasing against the individual. It involves stress, misery, a criminal record...and court costs.

She advised me (and I quote) "To throw myself on the mercy of the council - they'll do everything they can to make it easy for you to pay them, they're really decent about things like that"...and to pay the voluntary fine.

Apparently, just because I'm ill, is absolutely no excuse for not making the Council my first priority.




Now...

Is it me, or does it appear that I'm being legally discriminated against for being ill?

Or is it merely the fact that I am so overwhelmed with pain and prescribed painkillers I'm not seeing things clear here?


The system seems to me, to be absolutely loaded against anyone who deviates against their assumed "norm" by a hairs breathd...BUT the concept of "norm" is a totally unrealistic description.

I COULD - if I were mentally and physically strong enough protest, and go thru the legal rigmarole and draw attention to my situation - and the situation of thousands and thousands like me. Possibly, after an inordinate length of time, once awareness has been drawn to us, then MAYBE the laws might change

BUT

If I WERE mentally and physically strong enough, then I wouldn't NEED to draw attention to my situation - I wouldn't be in it!

I could just do what everyone else does, and ignore the situations of the other several thousnads of people like me and continue - against my conscience - with the "I'm Alright Jack s*d you" attitude. Which I find morally deplorable, and unjustifiably expedient.

Or I could, if I were Superwoman, and rich enough (in which case, why the hell would I *need to claim state benfits?) to make a stand, protest and lobby legally and peacefully and ensure the laws are changed, so that they protect the weak rather than stifle and penalise them further?


I'm not Superwoman - I will, to save myself even more financial and emotional stress, swallow my anger and pay my (purely voluntary) Penalty because I cannot face the extra stress of a court case, with all its attendant misery.

Which puts me into more debt. Which in turn is more worry.




I feel a complete failiure - but not because I made a mistake.

I feel a failiure because I haven't the means and the health and strength to be able to get myself out of the Poverty Trap I'm in.



Small wonder any of us turn to drink - or get sidetracked with anything that will take our minds off this ridiculous System - fashion, substandard music, religion, sex, drugs, whatever. The drugs aspect is especially encouraged - just look at how many antidepressant drugs are legally prescribed each year, for example.

I could write a thesis on how these legal pharmaceuticals ruin ones way of thinking, but unless you've actually experienced it, the facts would be too unpalettable and harsh for you to comtemplate fully.



Anything rather than face facts, and ask:

What can WE do about this? What can I do to change things for the better?

The system neatly ensures, with its one sided rules and strangulated language that WE and I can't - unless we're of the mind set of the rule makers; in which case, we probably wouldn't want to, because it upsets our status quo.


Distraction for the masses, and distraction for the rulers - because they, in their turn don't want to look at facts, either. They'd realise what a pigs ear they've made of it and that would be just as bad for them - it might make them realise how stupid and unrealistic *they are, too.

No.

Lets all stick to the mantra of I'm Alright Jack - its not expedient any more to care about anyone else but oneself.

Its too complicated

And frankly, its too late for me to build a future anyway. I'm too old, and too tired and too ill to continually draw on any reserves of inner strength.

I ran out a long time ago