A Life Worth Living and Why I Believe that the time is Right for Social Security Reform

One more day. ONE MORE DAY. I tell myself that I can do this, one more day!

I know that life is hard, difficult at times. I know your life is hard and difficult as well. That isn’t the worst of it. The way that I see life is as a challenge. Mostly because it is, and partly because if I didn’t, I might give up or give in to the, ” Life is not worth living; if this is living,” mind set. There is an, ” As good as it gets,” tone to my life and you may also be living in that dimension. The reasons have come through living in the last half century and dealing with the trials and tribulations of never taking the next step-up the proverbial financial ladder. Try and try again, as I have, and failed. Failed to become part of the haves and destined and resolved, admittedly, that I will never be anything more that what I am. The hopes and dreams have been put to rest and even the want of acceptance. I have fermented and matured in anticipation of becoming a fine vintage wine, only to become vinegar.

Now you may say,” This person doesn’t sound very optimistic. ” In that you would be incorrect. All I have is optimism. I have no time or place in my life for pessimism. If I choose to be negative over positive, I am the one who looses out on the joy of life. If I choose to give up or give in, I bring no joy to my fellowman, only sorrow. So I have learned to enjoy the sunrises and sunsets of my life for what they are, not for what they might have been.

I have not always driven a straight line or followed directions from point a to b. I have wandered, zigged and zagged and gotten lost a few times. If I was asked to predict where I would end up, this location, time and space would not have been my first thought. As I have driven along through life I have sustained a few dents and dings. Character builders. You may have some as well. Mine are not all external, many are, but most of the wear and tear is under the hood and on the interior.

There is a stupid old saying that goes something like, “The world may be coming to an end all around you , but as long as you’ve got your health, things aren’t so bad.” Just thinking about it makes me grit my teeth and lock my jaw and crinkle up my forehead. I didn’t have much, never more than a pay check to pay check life. I have never had more than enough of anything and eh… I was OK with the status quo. Maybe not OK, but at least not fed up enough to go postal. Then I lost my health and all the teeny tiny things that used to bother me now became great big drive me to the brink, things. The loss of something that I had taken for granted has broken me. Because I had no concept of not being able to do the things people do. That hurt, that injury, if brought on by reckless or careless living may not have bothered me in the same way as having it just happen. That bothers me, that there is a grief stricken person inside me that still remembers when he could do everything also bothers me.

Twenty years, I cannot get my head around the thought that it has been twenty years since I was able to play ball or bowl or participate in any sport. Twenty years of one more day. Twenty years of living day to day, in near poverty. Twenty years of pain and everyday feeling less and less useful and more and more useless. Twenty years of looking for and loosing jobs. Twenty years of continually diminished return on investment. That is not good for the soul.

Twenty years ago I was working a job I loved. Had a good income, a wonderful family and I also still had dreams. Then I got sick. My intestines had tied themselves in a knot and I nearly died. The recovery took months and the thoughts that kept me going were all about getting back to where I had been. My families needs had to be met. My job had to be salvaged. My home needed to be maintained and I was never fully able to satisfy any of those needs ever again.

I didn’t loose it all overnight. I lost it a little bit at a time. The medical bills and the constant pain, plus the wear and tear on my emotions. These were complications and catalysts that made one more day more difficult to complete. I didn’t know it then but I was becoming less friendly and more callous. I was becoming less responsive and more apathetic. I didn’t know it then but a little bit of me was dying everyday. I couldn’t stop it because I didn’t know it was happening. After loosing my dream job and unable to recover my self-esteem I worked a manual labor job in an effort to keep my family together and keep my head above water. It ended with the sale of the house I had worked for over a decade to make just right and a geographic move south looking either to escape my past or find a new future. The loss of a persons health changes more than the person with the poor health. It changes, it touches, all the people around the individual. We in society don’t live in a vacuum. My life affects yours and your life affects every person that you come in contact with. The contagious nature of life builds and destroys daily. I know that now; I wish I knew it then. It took four more years for my family to come apart. Four years of my not being able to satisfy the needs of my loved ones and four years of trying to make it one more day.

At 34 years old when I had my first major surgery I was fortunate enough to have insurance. Although having insurance doesn’t save you from the loss of your health nor does it protect you from the loss of your job. When I lost my job not only was I heartbroken,but I had lost the protection of insurance. I was only able to maintain Cobra insurance for two months because of the high cost. After that I was at the mercy of the insurance industry and their preexisting condition rules. At 44 when I took ill again, this time due to an abcess in my pelvis that was the size of a Florida grapefruit I didn’t have insurance. I also didn’t have the benefit of highly skilled physicians capable of performing the surgery and I suffered a great deal due to the inadequacies of the rural southern medical care system. Without the compassion of one nurse who told me in confidence and off the record that the doctors had no clue as to what to do and how to save me. My death was imminent unless I transferred to another hospital, at my own expense…Yes, Cash… I had to pay cash in advance in order to be transferred to a big city hospital. I barely made it out of there alive and had hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical debts that until I was totally broke and without assets of any kind was held over my head. Every time the phone would ring I died a little bit more because I knew that there was someone on the line demanding money. For two years I had bags and tubes hanging off of me until I was without assets and able to have another surgery courtesy of the VA, where I was assured success. Seven days after my surgery my abdomen exploded. The outcome you can see in the photographs. I, being naive, applied for disability benefits and have been denied repeatedly. So I have bounced from bad jobs to worse jobs. Been unemployed, took buses to stand in food lines and suffer daily. One more day, one more day.

There are people in this country who suffer from even greater and more heart wrenching illnesses than I do. There are those individuals who suffer from OZ Syndrome, they have no hearts, no brains, no courage. They are often seen to be pretending to care about you and the welfare of your kind, but they have compassion only for themselves.

Every man. woman and child in this country and on this planet deserve a life worth living. Every man, woman and child should be granted Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of happiness. But there isn’t any part of this that speaks to those in need or in the need for tithe to help those in need.

I used to be someone. At the very least I thought that I was making a contribution and that if even in the smallest way, I was helping to make life better for some.

John J. Craig

Ellenton, Florida 34222

E-Mail: swt2thjohnny@gmail.com

Management Administration Customer Service Human Resources

Maintenance Operations Mechanical Quality Control

Highly skilled in all office machines and computer software/ hardware.

Mechanically inclined, able to use all tools and measuring devices.

April 2011- August 2013 Transworld Diversified Engineering, Tampa, Fl.

Driver/Transporter

September 2010- February 2011 Goodwill Industries of SW Florida

Retail Cashier & Keyholder

Goodwill Industries/Manasota/Bradenton,Fl

Desoto Junction, Cashier

Goodwill Cortez Clearance Center Keyholder

March 2008 – May 2009 Property Manager T. Mannausa & Co. Bradenton, Fl

Apartment Property Office Manager & Maintenance Supervisor

Family complex, tax credit property

Office management and maintenance

Park Place Apartments II Rrh, Lehigh Acres, Fl

April 2003 – February 2007. Property Manager. T. Mannausa & Co., Bradenton, Fl

Rosewood Manor, Ellenton, Fl / 43 units, USDA 515 property

Wood Park Pointe, I & II Arcadia, Fl / 73 units, USDA 515 property, HUD, SEC-8.

Served as on site Leasing Office Manager and Maintenance person. Consisting of daily Office Administration,

Bookkeeping, and Maintenance of units. 24/7 On-Call. Office Administration and Bookkeeping consisted of all

Communication and Computer work as a Level II, USDA Rural Development Tax Credited and 515 Site Manager.

Tenant Files, Rent and Deposits, Vendor Supervision, News Letter, Tenant Applications and Leasing. Maintenance

Management consisted of HVAC, Plumbing and Electrical, and Physical Facilities Maintenance and Capital

Improvement.

November 1999 – November 2003. Department head. The Home Depot, Bradenton, Fl

Department Head, Supervisor of Building Materials, Delivery Will-Call Coordinator, Special Services Desk Associate

Delivery Driver, Puller & Loader

Working in a big box hardware retailer as a Supervisor, Coordinator and Associate for The Home Depot I was required

to deal with Stock, Supply, Inventory and Customer Service. I was a Head Cashier and Trainer and fully qualified to

Operate all Machinery and Lifting Equipment. I pulled packaged and loaded on average of 1.1 Million in product

monthly and Opened and Closed the Store and Registers. I dealt with all my employee Scheduling issues as well as

their Benefits and backaches. I controlled Shrink and Damage and completed all Store Transfers of Merchandise.

July 1999 – November 1999. Technician. Etco Electric, Bradenton, Fl

Technician

Quality control in the manufacturing of electrical components.

April 1999 – November 1999. Broker/Sales Agent. Advantage Freight, Bradenton, Fl

Dispatcher

Independent Online Broker and Sales Agent.

May 1999 – July 1999. Technician. Frogger Electric, Sarasota, Fl

Construction, Electrical

Trim work

March 1998 – April 1999. Driver/Mechanic/Laborer. Diekelman Asphalt, Thornton, Il

Dump Truck Driver

CDL-A Truck Driver, Paving Machine Operator, and Maintenance Mechanic.

March 1998 – April 1999. Craig’s Consulting & Training Self Employed, South Holland, Il

Safety Consultant and Trainer

Training , Certification and Re-certification classes in CPR/Stroke and Basic Life support as an independent agent of the

American Heart Association.

April 1993 – March 1998. J.B.Hunt Transport, Chicago, Il

Safety Manager/Orientation Instructor

Responsibilities included Safety, Training & Instruction, Accident Review & Employee Files.

International Driver Training, and Co-Driver Training for OTR, Regional, Local and Intermodal Transportation and

QualComm On-Board-Computer Training as well as FMCSA, DOT, and CFR and Transport Terminal OSHA requirements.

In addition to Hiring and Training responsibilities I taught Time Management, Winter & Holiday Driving Classes,

Road Rage Classes and Classes on Blood Borne Pathogens and CPR-Stroke. I completed Accident Reviews and

Post Accident Investigations, including all Drug Testing Pre-Hire and Post Accident/Incident.

November 1992 – February 1993. OTR Driver. J. B. Hunt Transport, Bridgeview, Il

OTR Truck Driver

Tractor Trailer Driver.

March 1992 – November 1992. Craig’s Catering Self Employment , South Holland, Il

Caterer

Catering Service Owner/Operator. Banquets, Weddings and Hors d’oeuvre Parties.

April 1991 – March 1992. Supervisor. Reliable Galvanizing, Chicago, Il

Supervisor

Operations, Production, Shipping and Receiving as well as physical plant maintenance.

September 1989 – January 1991. Agent/Registered Representative. Prudential Financial Services, Tinley Park, Il

Salesman, Insurance Agent

Sold and maintained insurance and financial services instruments. Auto/Home/Health/Life & Securities.

September 1987 – September 1989. Commercial Cleaning Service. Self Employment, South Holland, Il

Business Owner

Sole Proprietor of a Commercial Cleaning Service. Cleaned and Maintained three bars and two restaurants for a full two years.

Key Holder.

April 1985 – April 1989. Cew Video Productions, co-owner. Self Employment

Videographer Photographer

December 1985 – September 1987. Manager. Nick’s Sports Page, Dolton, Il

Bar & Restaurant Manager

Qualified and proficient in all capacities, Cook, Bartender, Security, Balancing and Deposits.

Key holder.

April 1981 – March 1985. Messing & Management Specialist. United States Navy, United States of America

MS3=USNAVY

Wardroom Cook At Sea, underway,USS Mahan DDG-42

Ships Baker At Sea, underway, USS Mahan DDG-42

Berthing Petty Officer, Ashore, CTW-1 United States Naval Station, Meridian, Ms.

UOPH, Unaccompanied Officers Personal Housing

BOQ, Bachelors Officers Quarters

June 1972 – November 1980. AC Delco Automotive Cooling Systems Mechanic. Roy’s Radiator Inc., Harvey, Il

Automotive Mechanic and Technician

Automotive Air Conditioning Technician and cooling systems mechanic.

Education

American Heart Association Basic Life Support & CPR/Stroke Instructor, May 1998 – June 1998

American Heart Association, Healthcare Provider Instructor Course, March 1998 – April 1998

American Red Cross/Standard First-Aide, December 1997 – January 1998

National Traffic Safety Institute/Traffic Survival Workshop/For Facilitators, June 1997 – July 1997

National Safety Council Driving Course For Instructors, April 1994 – May 1994

J.B.Hunt Transport Driver Training Program, November 1992 – December 1992

ICS PC Specialist /Certificate, November 1992 – February 1993

Professional Driving Institute, CDL-A License, September 1992 – October 1992

Nightingale/Conant-Top Commission Earnings/Correspondence Course, June 1990 – October 1990

Hume Group, Successful Money Management/Correspondence Course, October 1989 – February 1990

Prudential Financial Services Registered Representative Training, August 1989 – September 1989

Thornton Community College, August 1985 – December 1985

United States Navy, April 1981 – March 1985

Thornridge High School, High School, September 1974 – June 1978

St.Jude the Apostle Elementary, September 1966 – June 1974

Honors and Awards

United States Navy, 03/1985

Honorable Discharge

United States Navy Messing & Management A-School , 10/1981

Graduated valedictorian 98.67 Avg.

United States Navy, 04/1981

Squad Leader & Athletic Petty Officer for company #104 Great Lakes Training Station

Boy Scouts Of America, 08/1974

First class Scout, Attended and participated in all scouting functions for four years. Camping weekends, Honor Guard at High Mass.

Three Klondike outings, one Jamboree, One ten day Canadian canoe trip, and many fund raising drives including but not limited to food

and candy sales, Sunday breakfasts and paper drives.