Sometimes, I hate the CBC... Well, most of the time I hate the CBC.

It's not that they don't try, but I'm a radio person... I much prefer the medium of radio to television... and the CBC often has people on who don't know their poop from Shinola.

Case in point...

A while back, I heard this languishing woman lamenting the poor and horror-ridden world with the following words...

"Did you know that there are actually people who when they get a toothache can't even afford to see a dentist?"

Yes, this woman was ASTONISHED that some people can't afford the $200 to $500 for a simple dentist's appointment. In her tiny cranium filled with the weeping and wailing of the lost souls who's dental health suffers, she had never come across this and couldn't fathom it. You see, you had to be UNEMPLOYED and HOMELESS to be in this situation... and she felt this was the epitome of HORROR! A bad tooth ache... and no dentist.

Um...

Let's see... I work. I'm paid HORRIBLY as a temp file clerk. It's all I could find, but it's honest work.

My wife works. She's paid not-so-great as a customer service person. Better than me, but not too great again.

Last night, our ten-year old was up and weeping... why? A bad tooth... and no, we don't have two pennies to rub together.

Oh, we have food... the rent's only a little behind... our bills are somewhat up to date... we scrape by... but no money for the dentist without a little budgeting.

We will, out of this coming paycheque, find a way to budget... but I can tell you NOTHING makes you feel like a complete dirtbag and lousy provider more than telling your kid you can't afford the dentist right now for the toothache that has her crying.

And shock of shocks, with all this sad state of affairs, WE STILL WORK AND HAVE A HOME!

Also, when I was completely screwed and yes, homeless and hungry, I can tell you now that HAD a van pulled up and someone offered me a "Free Dental Visit" or the like, I'd have said, "Great! Got anything to eat?"

Realistically, dental hygiene don't mean much when you're hoping there's a half a cheeseburger discarded in the MacDonald's garbage can.

Sadly, the priorities for MOST people without a lot of money are food and shelter. Transportation to and from work is next... Daycare is vital if needed... THEN and ONLY THEN can things like eyeglasses and dental visits be considered.

I mean, there's no point in having braces and good glasses when you're literally on the street looking for food.

Those things help... they are important... but they're far from the main priority in life.

To hear this woman who, most likely, has only ever suffered the depravation of not being able to buy her gourmet vanilla-roast coffee beans and had to *gasp* settle for some mainstream, name-brand, Vanilla-Hazzlenut bean FROM A BAG *SHOCKING!* was enough to really boil my blood.

Don't speak for the poor... unless you have been or currently are poor.

I don't consider myself poor... although in many aspects, I am. My family eats, we have a phone, we have the Internet at home... we may not have cable or satellite TV and have to do special budgets for those secondary priorities like glasses and the dentist, but we somehow get by...

...but this woman was about as good a spokesman for poverty as Paris Hilton is for The Humane Society or SPCA.

When this woman doesn't get a full night's sleep because she's cradling a kid who's "tummy is hungry" or, in my case, has a tooth-ache, THEN and ONLY THEN can she talk... and perhaps understand where "those people's" priorities REALLY are.

We are (I hope,) good parents... We will look after our little one's tooth (we've promised Monday... or we'll try to find a dentist to help sooner who takes post-dated cheques...) and we'll eat and have a warm bed...

...oh, and yes, I still want to get the bus.

Why would I be begging for the bus and NOT "Money for Life" in general when things are "so bad"?

Firstly, I do believe my family's current poverty is a "blip" and that because both my wife and myself are intelligent and gently ambitious, we will move back up the fiscal ladder... we will eventually dig our way out of the fixes we're in... and then, yes, I'll be able to fix up the ol' bus.

Secondly because we (my wife and I) ARE both currently working... and working hard... and more-or-less making ends meet.

Thirdly, RLH 3 *will* be scrapped or worse sooner than I can afford to purchase/ship her... so it's kinda a rush-job on that front.

Lastly, "Money for Life" is earned... no doubt... and we do earn that!

I admit, often my love of buses is an escape from "reality" and allows me to "dream"... and take my mind momentarily off the nasty things... but it's important to do that for everyone... Dreams are necessary.

Anyway, yes, some people who work and aren't homeless STILL have to do without an immediate trip to the dentists AND YET WE CARRY ON and don't feel too sorry for ourselves... Maybe we don't feel sorry for ourselves because this woman feels sorry enough for us all... but I doubt it.

She's just another case of a "silver spooned person" trying to show their common touch... without bothering to do their homework.