I would like to start this out with a little background.  I have never prescribed to the idea of handouts to those who refuse to help themselves.  I have always considered myself to be a practicing Capitalist, believing that hard work and perseverance are the solutions to any financial setback.  I feel like this thought process has served me well, in spite of the fact that I was raised dirt poor.  My mother, bless her heart, raised my brother and I as a single parent earning minimum wage throughout my childhood.  Looking back on it, I probably would’ve had a much easier go if we were given a number of things along the way.  But my mother refused it, and kept plugging away.  She had an incredible work ethic, which remains to this day.

 However, with that said, I am sincerely starting to see some things from a different perspective.  Inflation is becoming an oppressive force, with housing costs that are unaffordable and outrageous to most people making $15.00 an hour or less.  Even with two working parents, the costs of housing, auto, food and insurances are drowning most low income households and even some in the middle-income brackets.  Now homelessness abounds to regular working families.  It’s not just an issue with the mentally ill, or drug/alcohol addicted individuals.  Over the last 2 to 3 years, I’ve been seeing more families living in their vehicles.  It’s becoming a horrendous epidemic, not just in my community, but all around the world.  The sad fact is that many of these homeless families didn’t lose their jobs or become a victim of substance abuse.  Many, many of them simply do not make enough money to survive.  Many are very hard working, even taking on multiple jobs.  Many have been persevering their entire lives, but the rate of income is not keeping consistent to the cost of living.  As a matter of fact, the cost of living is well outpacing most individuals earning potential. So no longer can we say, “Get a job!” or “Get off the substances!” in our heads as we drive by.  It makes me sick to my stomach to consider that I live in the most affluent nation in the world, and yet hard-working people are being forced to the streets only because they cannot afford normal goods and services.  This should not be allowed to continue in any nation that claims to care about their citizens.  No one deserves this, especially those who work hard to provide for their families.  

 So with all of that said, let me get to the point.  Crypto currency and NFT’s have given a lot of us security and hope for a better financial future.  Many of us have even far exceeded our expectations to what we anticipated earning, when we bought our first coin.  As far as the near future is concerned, I only see it growing more lucrative and increasing our earning potential.  This is very exciting!  But as great as it is for us, the future seems more and more bleak for the many who cannot afford to invest.  I am fully aware that there is no simple fix to this problem.  However, if we come together as a nation and set up brainstorming committees regionally, we can do our level best to work on solutions to this crisis.  Coin sharing or NFT splitting or any number of ideas could help in setting up small individual wallets for those who are at least making a solid effort to contribute to society.  So many cannot even afford to pay into an IRA for retirement, but we know damn well that the government still collects their taxes.  It’s becoming more and more an unfair system, with so many left out in the cold.  I truly believe that we can all come together and make a difference, even if it’s one community at a time.  Thank you for your time and thoughtfulness when it comes to our hardworking brothers & sisters.  I know they don’t want a handout, but how about a hand up!