Friday November 18, 2011

I am a 67 year old woman who is a recipient of both Social Security and Medicare, and I am very grateful for both. I have no doubt that I would be either dead or homeless without them.

I never actually retired intentionally; I more or less slid into it sidewise. Six years ago I was laid off from a nice full-time job with good benefits, and I naively believed I would easily find another job. But I had no idea of the economic buzz saw coming straight at us, and I also didn’t really understand the ageism I was about to experience.

As I was called for the occasional interview, I began to notice actual rolling of eyeballs when I walked in. I knew I had put on weight and I had stopped dying my hair, but I still felt as strong and as competent as I ever was.  But they clearly were not interested in working with someone as old as I, and it got pretty depressing. I found a part-time job with a senior non-profit organization, and while I still struggled, I survived.

When I turned 62, I decided to apply for Social Security. I was driving a 1987 Dodge truck that was on its last legs, and I knew with both incomes I could buy a better used car, which is what I did.

Of course, I also had no health insurance. In a way that was good, because at the time my job had me advocating at the state capitol on behalf of single-payer health care, and I found that telling my own story was a lot more effective than just repeating facts. I found myself fuming when legislators spouted that “we have the best health care in the world.” My response was “You may, senator. I have no health care.”

But of course, at the same time, I lived in constant fear that something bad would happen to me: a health attack, a broken bone, whatever. I am a bit of a hypochondriac anyway, and this kind of pushed me over the edge. Every little twinge sent me into a panic, and then I panicked over stressing about how the panic was impacting my health. You can easily see how this could drive you insane!

It didn’t, however, and much to my surprise I lived to turn 65, and to apply for and receive Medicare. I have never been so relieved in my life!

Of course, we all know that Social Security should be one leg on a three legged stool, as experts like to describe it. The other two legs would include a healthy savings account, and/or another pension, like a union job used to give you, or a 401K retirement plan. You could also have a fourth/fifth leg, perhaps a husband or partner with their own income and Social Security. You might also have a paid off house and car(s), as many seniors used to have.

So now here I am with a small pension, no house and car repossessed a year ago, no job and not much hope of getting one, and a monthly Social Security check of about $1200 (after Medicare deductions) per month to pay for rent, food, insurance, utilities, etc.

And we have a whole crop of legislators who think it is a good idea to raise the eligibility age for both Medicare and Social Security. And while they labor to make that happen they add insult to injury by calling us Greedy Geezers.

Of course, I can’t say that I have made no mistakes in my life; I certainly have. However, I wonder if I am the leading edge of a whole horde of newly retiring Baby Boomers, many of whom will be in a similar predicament.

And I suspect that many have no idea what the future holds for them.

I sure didn’t!

Margie Metzler, serves on the OWL National Board of Directors while she lives in San Jose, CA.