Still Crazy After All These Years

Today I received a letter from the Social Security Administration. It was a letter denying me early retirement benefits for disability reasons. I still have another year to go before becoming eligible for SS benefits.

Two years ago, while I was still able to work and employed, a friend, “The Captain”, suggested that I get an attorney and apply for SS disability benefits before my knees totally gave out on me. Being the procrastinator that I tend to be, I didn’t heed “The Captain’s advice” until this past fall, after one of my knees gave out on me.

However, I still didn’t do the right thing and follow the Captain's orders; I didn’t hire an attorney. I had decided that this was an unnecessary expense. Especially since I had not worked since last May and was supporting my son and grandson, who were living with me at that time.

The SSA sent me several forms and papers to fill out. I did it honestly, which is probably why I was denied benefits. I also included copies of some of the medical reports from my local VA Hospital.

The bottom line is that you need a Lawyer to lie for you whenever you are dealing with any Government Agency. Honesty is not the best policy when you are dealing with our government.

The final determination of the Florida branch of the Social Security Administration was that I still had the ability to function in some workplace, and that I was still employable. It may not be a place or a job of my choosing, but I didn’t need to take a job that required me to stand or use my legs. That it was my choice not to work and therefore I was ineligible for early benefits. I was qualified for too many other jobs in my area.

In my correspondence to them I attempted to impress upon them my aversion (in fact, a fear/Phobia) to traveling in a motor vehicle, and that there are not jobs available for me here on Treasure Island.

Their comment was that there are ”many jobs available in the Tampa Bay area” which I am well qualified to do. Obviously they didn’t read what I wrote on their forms. I don’t drive and public transportation to Saint Petersburg or Tampa is very limited here on the Island.

My last option is to go back to the VA Hospital and have them declare me as mentally unstable or impaired. In the past the VA Doctors have suggested that I need psychiatric help. According to them, my thinking is askew. My refusal to take medication and my fear of surgery (actually it’s a fear of anesthesia. which is a form of Trypanophobia) really tends to bother the learned Doctors at the VA Hospital. I don’t go with the program; therefore, I must be Crazy. I’m just leery of the many unnecessary surgical procedures that are performed in these Hospitals.

Seven years ago they suggested that I have my Colon removed. I refused and I have been put on their Blacklist of bad patients.

I have read the list of things that will qualify you to get early SS benefits and being mentally impaired was among them. It seems that a person deemed insane will get the early SSA benefits before a semi-crippled person who is unable to work will get the SSA benefits.

I've been also told that it would help my case if I was in a minority group. What greater minority could I possibility be in. A Caucasian male of Czech origin, an agnostic, who is over the age of 60, heterosexual, and terminally unemployed. I am certain that less that .05% of our population will fall within these parameters. As my Dad would have said "Do the Math".

The Beach Bum