Thursday, March 23, 2017

Insecure about Social Security

SOL17 (if you were here earlier, Blogger messed this up big time... or Padlet did.  This is alllll new...and good.)

It is Thursday and my husband is on his way to the Social Security office AGAIN.  We have tried and tried to get our SS untangled, but they keep tangling it up again.  We get letter after letter from them explaining how much we aren't getting THIS time, and how much they are taking out for the prior months (that they've made mistakes on).  I did not know that retirement was going to be a full time job at the Social Security office, but so far it has.  And it seems to be a money loser.

I'm hoping when their fixes to their mistakes finally catch up with their paperwork that they will repay the back-pay money they took out.  I'm not too optimistic about it.  At this point, I'll be happy to simply stem the flow.

I can't tell you how weird it is to both be retired now.  It is both weird and scary.  We shouldn't be scared; we prepared for this.  We have funds set aside in various nets.  But there is something about sitting here in the boat with your nets full, releasing them one by one and hoping that you don't run out of them before YOU have run out; or hoping that the boat won't sink, leaving you without boat or nets.

I have to put that aside.  Those worries are not for me to deal with.  The worrying time is done.  Now it is time to just do.  We WILL be fine.  I have my assurance of that.  I just need to hold up my faith to ward off the worry.  Set worry in its place...the backseat of life.

No Worries, No Regrets

I shall not give over to worry
that stalks in the shadowy dark;

I will cling to the hope of tomorrow
and pull myself up to embark

on the journey of life that awaits me,
a future to flame from a spark;

be gracious in walk and grow kindness,
embrace what is tried and found true;

don't ever regret to go boldly
and reach for the good that is new.

the good in tomorrow is out there
past worries just waiting for you .

by Donna JT Smith
My OLW last year - BOLD  and this year's word - REACH both helped out today.

7 comments:

  1. I love this poem and your ability to let go of worry! My favorite line, "don't ever regret to go boldly and reach for the good that is new," even if that is in the SS office where boldness might help. I wish you all the best in the new phase of your life.

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    1. I'm sure they will get it right sometime. I just hate to have to be fighting for them to correct it when they made the mistake... and they know it! Ah, well, this too shall pass!

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  2. The paperwork that SS entailed was certainly challenging, and I kept wondering about those people who don't read very well, or have English as a second language? Best wishes that this will be the final trip, and "the good in tomorrow is out there/past worries just waiting for you."

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    Replies
    1. I just filled out some other forms that I kept thinking, "what, there is no easier way to say this?" The nice lady at the SS office said it is just a matter of papers crossing and that they will be reimbursing us when their amended paperwork gets processed. Meanwhile we keep getting new notices that they are taking yet more money...because they think they overpaid us for three months...which they didn't. So they'll play catch up taking money that they think they should have and later will give back to us. Sigh. Oh, well. There is very little you can do to speed anything up if you want to - or slow something down either. I have to learn to relinquish control! LOL!

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  3. That's how they make you retire...You have to spend all your days at the SS office, so you don't have time to have a job. Ha! So sorry you are going through all that. Good that you know that all that worrying won't add even one minute to your life. Fingers crossed that the papers stop crossing.

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    1. That's about right. There isn't much of a day left after that. Soon, very soon, hopefully, it will all be straightened out.

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  4. I am retired and my husband will retire next year. I have thought (and worried) about several things, but now I'll add SS to my list. Actually, your poem is so inspiring that I think I'll take this advice from you instead:
    "be gracious in walk and grow kindness,
    embrace what is tried and found true;"
    Beautiful! Thank you.

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