Bobbie is having money woes. Seems a combination of things. Dave is out of [unemployment checks], Charlie’s check is late, and Mitch is layed off. This, with the ongoing attitude she has that Rossie can’t work. Damn with all that, I’d have trouble pulling it off. But it’s not that bad, and the easiest target is Rossie. I don’t buy that problem that people with head problems can’t work. Even if your bloody back is broken, there’s a job somewhere—but head problems. And do you solve that problem by sheltering them from work? If you ask me, that is the source of the problem—is someone with a screwed up idea of live—a simple and correctable state, ever going to clean up their act if they know by a proper display of ineptitude, they can keep their distorted and self-righteous attitudes and never work besides?
Look at Rob’s brother, Tony, for a prime example. He spends his entire useless life on welfare because he’s got scrambled ideas that would rapidly align themselves if he ever had to do a lick of real work. Same goes for most housewive’s I know. (And if you feminists retort that raising children is real work, then I advise you don’t bother with it at all then. Trying to work or squirm you way out of situations that you bring upon yourself is not work at all, at all.) Dave and I got around to a swap meet, a piano store, a building supplier, a restaurant, a bank, speeding ticket and a traffic jam. When I got home, Sonja called.
Haven’t had such a good time in years. Picked her up, went to “Creepshow”. Snuck in a mickey of brandy, necked and petted and got her home by 9:30. Never had such a great time, even when I was a kid. That’s the way it should be, I have no complaints. Everything was perfect and I hope we do it again.
[Author’s note: recall that at the time this was written, I had never before lived in a welfare state. I still believe to this day that those who can perform a simple, repetitive task should have to work for a living regardless of their mental state. If they are a danger to others, let then work at something solitary. Bobbies was the first family I ever met where everyone in the household was on some type of government assistance. Rossie was perfectly normal, but had learned the moves by the time she was 14 and had been on welfare ever since.
The final paragraph that follows is a result of Bobbie criticizing me for dating Sonja, who was ten or eleven years younger than myself. Bobbie would not let me date Rossie who was seven years my junior. Please take these facts into consideration, and that I am speaking against Bobbie, not the world in general.]
I state, the stronger the person (Bobbie) feels about men going out with younger girls, the greater the mess they’ve made of their own live. And all the more they hate those who recognize it. There are few things worse than watching a woman who’s made a complete fool of herself giving caution to a girl about men. Women who criticize male sexuality have, every one, changed their tune instead of their taste.
[Author’s note: Although I rented a room downstairs in Bobbies house with a private entrance, she still watched who I brought home and that is why Sonja and I were at the movies. Bobbie was the last person to counsel anyone about how to live properly. She was a nice lady, but made every mistake in the book and never learned by it. Bobby was outspoken about bad men, but every last one she knew socially was bad. That is, her tune had changed but not her taste. And I resented being tarred with that brush.
There is another weird concept I was exposed to at the time. Although my room was private, the household was generally a group and I was treated as semi-family. I kicked in for groceries and we ate very well indeed. But the others had never developed any sense of communal responsibility. When they got their welfare checks, they disappeared to the barroom for a week and returned unkempt and broke. Instead of admonish them, Bobbie would imply it was up to us to help tide them over to the next drunk. To me, this was backward thinking. I had yet to learn it is not at all backward when you are the one getting the free ride.]
