5 ms·

I'm not as bad off as this woman but the difference is irrelevant in the big picture as I won't survive either. I am in my 40s with no skills, a dead CV and the

I'm not as bad off as this woman but the difference is irrelevant in the big picture as I won't survive either. I am in my 40s with no skills, a dead CV and the expectation that if I really wanted it I would just pull on my non existent bootstraps. Over a decade ago my life was ruined by medical mistakes. It cost me my career and everything I had worked for. It started a long road of being denied assistance from disability and other programs as I fell in every crack or got unfair adjudicators. I was not able to navigate the legal system for recompense as it was loaded on the side of the doctors despite common belief. I survived this long on a partial pension from my job, a large savings since I lived frugally, and occasional assistance from others. My health has worsened, problems and needs have piled up, the occasional assistance has tricked off mostly, and I have no hope. Most people ignore me, some give useless advice that makes them feel like they did something, and nothing changes. In the end it comes back to victim blaming and me not trying hard enough. People who have health, security, and lives and cannot imagine what it's like to live in so much pain and have no real options love to judge. I have tried and considered all the usual advice like "learn to code" or "just do content writing" that comes along to disabled and isolated people. At my age and with the stability issues I have it's not realistic. People don't seem to get that. I should be getting assistance but this country doesn't do it like the rest of the first world so I am expected to suffer more just to stay alive in pain. I am moving abroad to a cheaper country to try and stretch my pension but I won't survive there either without earning and I cannot find any feasible way to earn that doesn't make things worse. Seeing people talk about people like me here in terms of "usefulness to society" enrages me. I served society...I did good in the world...that life was stolen and society rejected me. We are legion.

dougk16 9y ago
I don't give this advice often since for most people it's the "moving abroad" part that's the deal breaker, but since you mentioned you're doing it already, I'll throw out teaching english as a foreign language. Depending on the country/school you might need a small certificate from a month-long-type training course, or training from the school itself, but for the most part you just need to be able to speak English and have a heartbeat. When I did it I met other teachers from every conceivable walk of life, some with a situation that sounds similar enough to yours. It's the most realistic way that someone down on their luck can "start fresh" in this day and age (IMO). Good luck.
- marak830 9y ago
  I wouldn't recommend Japan for this btw(I live here currently), it's fairly difficult and cutthroat at the moment. I do have a friend in Taiwan that is trying to convince me to go over though fyi :-)
- hestipod 9y ago
  I've done it part time in the past when I attempted this sort of desperation move that failed. It wasn't sustainable and took too much out of me being "switched on and sociable" like that. On top of that the barrier to entry even if I could manage is higher than people think...I dont have a bachelors degree and am old. Schools want young, degreed and flexible. If all you have is being a naive speaker you get private under the table lessons for cash that constantly cancel and every other broke expat is undercutting you for. If I am ever going to earn it has to be remote and flexible but I just dont have the skills or stability etc to learn them so far. I've tried "DIY learn to code various things" sort of ideas before but something always interrupts it and I suck at it frankly. Then I read how old and inflexible people cannot get hired for anything and I get even more down. I have not heard a new idea that seemed workable in so long I cannot remember.
  - fencepost 9y ago
    If you go international to someplace cheaper and with any kind of tech scene you may be able to find at least a bit of work assisting software developers with English for apps & sites. There may be a bunch of people able to do that, but "local and able to meet" may have a quality all its own (along with "willing to be paid local rates in local currency"). You say you don't have skills, but at the least you write and presumably speak good grammatically correct English. You might also have at least a little bit of still relevant domain knowledge from your previous career - it may not get you in the door in that industry, but it may open doors in related ones.
marak830 9y ago
I don't know about anyone else here, but I'd like to hear your story. I cant help you in any way, much to my own discredit, but if you want someone to speak to, or if you ever feel like sharing publicly, I'd be interested. Side note, where are you moving to?
- hestipod 9y ago
  I don't even see most of my posts so I think something is still filtered or else I am being downvoted so they don't show? A mod said the new account spam thing was released Don't understand HN well as I have always lurked and never participated. I have told my story in forums many times and it never got me anywhere but more exposed and depressed so I don't feel comfortable giving too many details...though I sort of laid out the basics in another post. My situation is common but the details are unique so I'd not be hard to ID and feel more vulnerable. No need to apologize for not being able to solve it...the fact you would if you could speaks to your character. My anecdotal evidence is the majority just don't care until it is them.
  - marak830 9y ago
    I understand not wanting to give details nor wishing to rehash painful memories. All I can hope for is the best of luck for you, andy sincerest hope that things change.

dougk16 9y ago

I don't give this advice often since for most people it's the "moving abroad" part that's the deal breaker, but since you mentioned you're doing it already, I'll throw out teaching english as a foreign language. Depending on the country/school you might need a small certificate from a month-long-type training course, or training from the school itself, but for the most part you just need to be able to speak English and have a heartbeat. When I did it I met other teachers from every conceivable walk of life, some with a situation that sounds similar enough to yours. It's the most realistic way that someone down on their luck can "start fresh" in this day and age (IMO). Good luck.

marak830 9y ago
I wouldn't recommend Japan for this btw(I live here currently), it's fairly difficult and cutthroat at the moment. I do have a friend in Taiwan that is trying to convince me to go over though fyi :-)
hestipod 9y ago
I've done it part time in the past when I attempted this sort of desperation move that failed. It wasn't sustainable and took too much out of me being "switched on and sociable" like that. On top of that the barrier to entry even if I could manage is higher than people think...I dont have a bachelors degree and am old. Schools want young, degreed and flexible. If all you have is being a naive speaker you get private under the table lessons for cash that constantly cancel and every other broke expat is undercutting you for. If I am ever going to earn it has to be remote and flexible but I just dont have the skills or stability etc to learn them so far. I've tried "DIY learn to code various things" sort of ideas before but something always interrupts it and I suck at it frankly. Then I read how old and inflexible people cannot get hired for anything and I get even more down. I have not heard a new idea that seemed workable in so long I cannot remember.
- fencepost 9y ago
  If you go international to someplace cheaper and with any kind of tech scene you may be able to find at least a bit of work assisting software developers with English for apps & sites. There may be a bunch of people able to do that, but "local and able to meet" may have a quality all its own (along with "willing to be paid local rates in local currency"). You say you don't have skills, but at the least you write and presumably speak good grammatically correct English. You might also have at least a little bit of still relevant domain knowledge from your previous career - it may not get you in the door in that industry, but it may open doors in related ones.

marak830 9y ago

I don't know about anyone else here, but I'd like to hear your story. I cant help you in any way, much to my own discredit, but if you want someone to speak to, or if you ever feel like sharing publicly, I'd be interested. Side note, where are you moving to?

hestipod 9y ago
I don't even see most of my posts so I think something is still filtered or else I am being downvoted so they don't show? A mod said the new account spam thing was released Don't understand HN well as I have always lurked and never participated. I have told my story in forums many times and it never got me anywhere but more exposed and depressed so I don't feel comfortable giving too many details...though I sort of laid out the basics in another post. My situation is common but the details are unique so I'd not be hard to ID and feel more vulnerable. No need to apologize for not being able to solve it...the fact you would if you could speaks to your character. My anecdotal evidence is the majority just don't care until it is them.
- marak830 9y ago
  I understand not wanting to give details nor wishing to rehash painful memories. All I can hope for is the best of luck for you, andy sincerest hope that things change.