I am more poor now than I have ever been

and that's life; mostly I wanted to talk about how, while I am MEGA poor right now (I make 14k per year on disability; my rent is 95% of my "income") I have not always been so.

Before the injury that took me out of the workforce, I had always worked. I was in the USAF for 4 years; I looked for work while living on savings; I worked as a nurses aide for 15 years. When I was single, I made a single man's money and that was good. I was able to survive and survive well.

Later, I married and together my wife and me were comfortable. We were solidly LOWER middle class- with the $30k/year I made, the $60k/year SHE made, we were comfortable. Not  Comfortable or COMFORTABLE, but comfortable; we lived in her parents home- they lived downstairs, we lived upstairs.

First I injured my back so severely I have not been able to lift 15 lbs without pain. Cannabis makes the pain easier to handle; it doesn't make it go away. She was able to work for another almost 2 years. Then her health went south quite quickly and she too went onto disability; suddenly, we went from $90k/year to $26k/year. We were able to make it work, though it hurt.

Since my wife has died, my income has dwindled to my disability AND the VERY kind people who have donated through my gofundme.com campaign; and who have become my patreon.com patrons. I "make" 14k per year; it takes more than 14k per year to live. I am barely ahead of the wolves at all times.

Thank you so much to everyone who has ever given me any money at all to survive. I am extremely grateful; I am ALIVE right now, and without your help,  I wouldn't be.

Thank you all so much.