So it seems that it comes down to the question, do I try to do the right thing or the thing that I need to do to survive? This question seems to be coming up a lot among people that I know lately. Where is the community, the help, the caring, and the interest in our fellow man (or woman) that makes life livable without having to resort to dishonesty, crime, or outright backstabbing a friend just to survive? Can anyone tell me when the small town atmosphere and idea of helping each other out died? It seems to me that I can't trust anyone in this, my adopted home town of 28 years, any more. I lived in California for a few years and am seeing more and more similarities as the years go by. I moved back here for the friendship, neighborly atmosphere, and helpful people that I remembered from my childhood. Only I find it is rapidly disappearing, only to be replaced with greed, selfishness, snobbery, and people looking down on others because their not as well off. I remember when I was a teenager that our neighbors looked out for us. Our parents looked out for their kids as well. Not something that I see anymore. Now I am disabled, blind, and all around messed up, and I feel as if it is not the safe, caring, and wonderful place it used to be. Can anyone tell me what happened to us? Even someone that is obviously in need of help can't get it here now. Not from anyone, not from the hospital, their neighbors, their friends, the Billings Clinic, not a dentist, NOT FROM ANYONE! Is the world that far gone? Are we that greedy? Are we that worried about ourselves? I wish I could say no to any of those, but I am afraid that that would be a lie. Please someone prove me wrong!!!!

The mind can make a heaven of hell, or a hell of heaven.

That said, in regards to the first question, I would recommend doing "the right thing". Your conscience will thank you later.

In regards to the entire health care system, it's messed up. Don't know what else to say, other than there are a lot of good hardworking caring people in the world. It's not necessarily so bleak.

The question is not for me to do the right thing or not. It is for others. Where has all good people gone in this town? Why can't anyone get help here? Why are the decent things that I do simply taken advantage of? And lastly, why is no one else helping others or even caring if they get help or not? Those are the questions/

I don't think people have changed at all, over the last 10 years, 20, 50 or 100. I think people are the same. Society may or may not be the same, but probably mostly the same.

Perhaps provide a specific example of why you believe otherwise.

ok then, one example. There is a young mother of four that has serious dental problems. She works forty hours a week and all her money goes toward putting food on the table and paying the bills. She has no money for herself or for any insurance (medical,dental, or otherwise). She can not get any help. None at all. Not from anyone or anywhere. The dentists in this town won't help. The doctors in this town won't help, and no one else besides me will help. I am on disability and can not help much, but I do what I can. No one else even cares. They make comments about how she needs to get stuff fixed and ridicule her for the problems she has. There is no sense of community, common decency, caring, or helpfulness. I know for a fact that three are many people that could do something yet choose not to. They are to greedy, selfish, and wrapped up in their own petty wants to help someone who in in need! So tell me that these people are good people. I think not! If I was in her position, there would be no help for me either. I get barely enough money to be three times below the poverty level and yet if I died from an infection in one of my teeth no one would do anything or even care. She has no family to speak of, her parents are both dead. For all intensive purposes she is alone in the world suffering and no one will do a damn thing to help! Is that enough of an example for you? Or shall I list more? Do you want to hear of how a punk kid got busted for drugs and other stuff, he lied to the police and tried to get himself out of trouble by telling them that I was selling. I AM NOT, NOR WILL I EVER DO THAT!! Yet, he wanted to get off, so he made up some bs. These are the things that I am talking about.

There are many people doing good for others in this town behind the scene. So just because you haven't seen or experienced it yet doesn't mean that it isn't happening.

From Raoul:

You find them impossibly stupid because you are a small minded back-asswards hick that has no thought beyond wheres my beer. Try using you head for more than a hat rack. This means that you would need to think. I know that it will be a challenge for you and will hurt a lot, but just try it once. Who knows something might happen in that empty space between your ears that could be helpful instead of negative and useless.

Poor you.

I'm fairly sure the Republicans feel that poor people should not get health care in any form because it just creates a dependent mindset. At least, that is what our state legislature, which we voted into place, feels. If you want to change that mindset, you need to elect people who don't believe it.

ETA: Through in the occasional paragraph break. I only skimmed your rant because it was a solid block of text which is hard to read.

[This message has been edited by Amorette Allison (4/22/2013)]

Even I know for a fact that the old cow town hasn't changed THAT much. I've known a lot of awesome people and most of the best of them were Miles Citians.

I am sorry for your friend and you. But anger will not get you anywhere.

Life is not fair.

You sound like you are looking for the worst in people. And if that's what you seek, that's what you will find.

If your friend is indeed a single mom with children there are organizations that will help her.

There are dentists that are willing to take payments.

The fact that you are singlehandedly making these nasty statements about Miles City says more about you than about Miles City.

If you don't like it there move.

Public health gives out dental vouchers and is always very helpfull.

Montana Dentists Offer Charitable Dental Care

http://www.mtdental.com/dds.htm

Raoul: There are also many examples from the other side of the coin ~ where good hearted people have attempted to give someone a hand up only to find it wasn't good enough. That can put a damper on humanitarian efforts very quickly.

For example: I've heard that a certain vision impaired person received a computer from a charitable organization only to pawn it later.

I really hate to agree with Kay C. AGAIN, but I do! **maybe she'll invite me to her birthday party this year **

Firstly, you are not getting the point. I am not bashing anyone. I am asking a question. Where are the decent people that help others? Are they still here? And why don't they stand up and help?
Secondly, I do not look for the bad in people. I am shown it daily. I am a hopeful realist. The problem is that if you honestly look around..and I mean "honestly", you will see that people are not as caring, or helpful, or nonjudgmental as they used to be. But to see this, all of you must take off your rose colored glasses and look at life here as it really is.
Third, Which dentists take payments? I haven't found any and I have looked, They don't even take Medicaid in this town. And...no one is willing to help...they are only able to make excuses and as in your post look down on me for pointing out reality.
Please read the other posts and tell me that they are helpful and not veiled attempts to put me in my place for speaking the truth.

Thank you!! This I didn't know and will check it out right away!! Here is one of the helpful, caring people that I want and need in this town!!!

I certainly hope that this "certain person" you are referring to isn't meant to be me. I have never gotten rid of anything that anyone, person or organization, has helped me with!! I may have had to take something to the pawn shop in the past so that I could make ends meet, but I always got the item back! Besides what place is it of yours to judge me? Am I nosing around in your life and bringing up things that you have had to do to survive on a public forum? Who the hell do you think you are?
Please let's all get Jesus to step down so that your PERFECT self can take over!! You are quite judgmental and YES NOW I will be offensive. You can go to hell K. Duffy. And if this is who I think it is then it explains a lot of things that didn't make any sense until today. TRY FINDING OUT ALL YOUR FACTS BEFORE JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS!!

[This message has been edited by Raoul Childs (4/22/2013)]

I certainly hope that this "certain person" you are referring to isn't meant to be me. I have never gotten rid of anything that anyone, person or organization, has helped me with!! I may have had to take something to the pawn shop in the past so that I could make ends meet, but I always got the item back! Besides what place is it of yours to judge me? Am I nosing around in your life and bringing up things that you have had to do to survive on a public forum? Who the hell do you think you are?
Please let's all get Jesus to step down so that your PERFECT self can take over!! You are quite judgmental and YES NOW I will be offensive. You can go to hell K. Duffy. And if this is who I think it is then it explains a lot of things that didn't make any sense until today. TRY FINDING OUT ALL YOUR FACTS BEFORE JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS!!

Sounds like you need to heed your own advice.

I think I am realizing why it might be hard for you to be a decent person.

You're a crabby colored kaleidoscope of colicky curmudgeonness.

Lighten up. Maybe a visit to a dentist with some nitrous oxide will help.

FH

I found that one of the toughest things in life is to live up to the EXPECTATIONS of others. It is impossible to feel guilt about situations that exist unbeknownst to you. People have so much going on in their own lives that that is their focus.

I really wish our State could have the Medicaid Expansion so that people who struggle would have help. Call your Legislators and tell them you would rather Montana have it than to let the money go to another State who will use it to help their people. Only about five days left to do so.

One of the few "life lessons" I've learned is that I am not going to change the world - likely as not that's a good thing. What I can do is tackle one thing at time.

Maybe you can make it your goal to line up some help for the lady who needs the dental care. Contact the groups that have been mentioned above. Then line up someone to provide her transportation in case she does have to travel, line up some folks to provide day care for her kids & maybe provide some meals while she is recovering from the dental care, maybe even round up 10 folks that can kick in $50-100 to help her with associated expenses & loss of work.

I'm guessing you could pull this off. Miles is a good community - folks will help others, sometimes they have to nudged along, but they will.

Raoul Childs wrote:

Secondly, I do not look for the bad in people. I am shown it daily. I am a hopeful realist. The problem is that if you honestly look around..and I mean "honestly", you will see that people are not as caring, or helpful, or nonjudgmental as they used to be. But to see this, all of you must take off your rose colored glasses and look at life here as it really is...

Please read the other posts and tell me that they are helpful and not veiled attempts to put me in my place for speaking the truth.

Apparently, you are irritated over a particular situation. I am sorry about that. You seem to have some unmet and unrealistic expectations. Perhaps you should rethink your approach.

I can tell you first-hand, based on the kindness others in MC have shown to my family, and my involvement in making sure others in need are cared for, that Miles City is one of the most caring places around. When the need is real, people step up to the plate and do what they can to make sure their neighbors needs are met. That is the reality of living in Miles City.

Frankly sir, if you are going to show up here whining, bashing, and getting people all "Raoul-ed" up, you deserve to be put in your place.

Please reread the post that starts out...Firstly, I am not trying to bash on anyone.

Well then, I'd hate like hell to see what happens when you'd actually try. You are coming off as bashing others. You don't seem willing to consider the evidence others have presented as to why you might be incorrect in your assessment of the care-level of Miles Citizens. You most certainly "bashed" K. Duffy.

If life were fair, horses would ride half the time.

Yes I most certainly did! I do not appreciate people trying to take things out of context that they know nothing about and using it to make me look like someone that tries to scam others! If someone did that to you, would you not take offense? As far as I know, and I may be wrong, but I do not even know K. Duffy. Yet, somehow he or she, knows some little half=truth about me, and decided to use it on a PUBLIC forum to put me in my "place".

To that kind of B.S. I will always respond in kind. I am not perfect, and have never claimed to be. I am human and to quote someone famous. And I apologize if I mess this quote up.

"If you hurt me, shall I not revenge."

To everyone else, if I offended you with what I have experienced, then I am sorry. I am sorry to have taken some of the color out of your rainbow. They say that the truth hurts, especially when it hits close to home.

If you don't agree with me, that is your right. I thought that it was my right to type what I thought without being attacked, put down, and told that I needed to leave town. Guess I was wrong.

Thank you all for proving my point!

Thank u Tim

I always love it when someone comes out whining and moaning and saying terrible things about this community and then get their knickers in a twist when people take offense.

You catch more flies with honey, you know.

I thought that it was my right to type what I thought without being attacked, put down, and told that I needed to leave town.

Who in the world gave you that idea?

This is my last post on here. I am glad that I amused you all. I shall remember this if the tables are ever turned. I will remember the condescending comments, the arrogance, spitefulness, and lack intelligence that most of you have shown.

I will also remember the very few who were actually helpful. I thank you for that!! May you have a wonderful rest of the year. It is nice to know that there are still a few decent people around. Even if we are outnumbered by the loud-mouthed, and mostly ignorant, masses.

As for this site, I will only be looking at the classified ads from now on. That way I am not part or party to the B.S. that is slung on here.

Life is a bitch. Take a look at this guy. He was born with no arms. No legs. However, through his attitude, he didn't dwell on the negative, he focused on the positive ... and has done just fine. He has lessons to teach all of us whiners.



And I can classify us as whiners, because there's absolutely no way any of us could understand what he has had to go through.

I read some wonderful stories about a young man in Wyoming who had such defective lower limbs, they were amputated in infancy. He looks like half a person. He has climbed Mount Kilamanjaro. You can be an inspiration or you can be the opposite. The choice is yours.

Even if we are outnumbered by the loud-mouthed, and mostly ignorant, masses.

I'd tell you to take a look in the mirror, but...

Raoul,

Here a couple of links to that might help your friend. Riverstone heath is in Billings and they help low income people with heath care and dental work.
http://www.riverstoneheal...fault.aspx

Also, Brewer Dental has a "smile makeover" and the help needy people with their teeth.

Below is a link to their web site. Also, here is their toll free phone number: 1-877-325-6100

http://www.brewerdentalcenter.com/
I hope that your friend find some help, soon.

Best to you.

Thank you very much!!

Are you bored? At least a few people had helpful advice. I LOVE people. What is even better is the housing topic.

GOD BLESS AND GOOD LUCK

if you look you can find bad in all people or you can look and find good in all people

Don't overlook the Custer County Community Health Center. They charge a mandatory $20 co-pay, but the rest of the fee could be free depending on financial need of the patient. One of the premises on which it was established was vouchers for dental care. Also, two of the dental offices in town offer a day of free dental care every year. Hope you didn't miss their announcements of such care.

Thank you all again! Here is an update:

The person that I was trying to help...suddenly decided that she didn't want to be my friend anymore. She gave no reason or anything. She just told me she didn't want me as a friend.

So, this string can die out now. I have no further need to try to help her. Her choice not mine. Thank you all for your input. Well, the helpful people at least.

Didn't want to be your friend? No way!

I'm sure it had nothing to do with his positive attitude and outlook on life....just saying



ALL OF THAT...for NOTHING

It had nothing to do with me, but as always you wonderful idiots just assume the worst of me.

She had her own issues and went off to figure them out.

So, as always, I am glad that I have nothing to do with you.

Good Riddance!