AtlanticTigerMan

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If OP goes the no health insurance route one major medical event could absolutely sink you.

It's unfortunate that our health insurance is largely tied to employment but that's the system we have. I think it holds a lot of people back from taking more risks with their careers although I don't have a good solution.

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This is something I absolutely agree with. I really have grown to hate how our health insurance is tied to employment. I think it's one of the few things the U.S. absolutely gets wrong.

That's not to say I'm asking for "free" government provided health insurance. I don't want the government anywhere near my doctor's office. But there needs to be more competition for health insurance. Insurance companies should be able to cross state lines and compete.

There absolutely should be a middle ground. Getting away from health insurance being tied to employment while also keeping the government out as much as possible. Reasonably affordable health insurance or at least independent groups you can join for health insurance.

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Yeah you came a little bit before me. My generation was told go to college or die LOL. So I went for free and graduated smack dab in the middle of a recession. I I have my daughter when I turn 21. I was going to college full time and working three jobs to make ends meet and take care of my family. After college I couldn't find anything of substance so I started working construction. I had to bartend for the next 3 years at night while working a full-time job to make ends meet. But my generation is soft lol.

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If there's one thing Gen Z has hopefully learned it's that college is not some free ticket ride guaranteed to end in crazy wealth for not doing a lot of work.

Being an older millennial I also fell right into the "go to college or have fun working at fast food places your whole life" type speech. And of course I graduated in 2007 right into a recession. Didn't even use my HR Management degree until 2011.

Hopefully Gen Z is being encouraged more to go to college if they have a true career path/goal but if not to consider trade schools.

Kind of an offshoot of the Gen Z job topic but one that interested me as I'm at a crossroads with two different job situations myself.

Currently I work full time at a decent job (HR work, I'll admit nothing special) with a company I've been with for years. I make $20/hr. but have 4 weeks of PTO and 2 weeks of sick time. Also have 401(k) with a full employer match up to 8% and good medical/dental/vision benefits (pay $32/week for medical, $1.50 for dental and no cost for vision). Monday through Friday 9-5 type schedule.

I also work on occasion for a transportation company (I live in a big tourist area) that was founded last year by a big travel agency company. It's easy work and it's nice not being in front of a computer all day. The base rate is only $15/hr. but you make guaranteed 20% gratuity on all rides (added into the cost of the ride) plus cash tips. In general I make right at $25/hr. doing that work and they work around my schedule.

With that said, they would really like me to have more availability since they get nothing but good feedback on me. It's a smaller company with a more personal feel compared to my regular job which is for a big corporation and therefore can have that soulless feel at times.

I'm in my late 30s and I flat out make more with the transportation company but obviously that would always be contract work. I'm sure I could discuss it with them but I seriously doubt there would be any room for PTO or medical benefits and I definitely know there wouldn't be a 401(k) option.

On the other hand I would have far more control of my schedule with the transportation company. In my corporate position if you don't request time off at least a few months in advance good luck getting the time off. The transportation company I could easily just say "hey I'm sorry but I can't work this week".

And no the transportation company is not Uber/Lyft gig type work. It's a legitimate transportation company that provides the vehicles and each vehicle has a credit card for gas and a transponder for tolls. So there is next to no out of pocket cost for me.

So the corporate job is lower pay and more difficult work but far better benefits. The transportation company is higher pay and for the most part easier work but essentially no benefits.

What do you all think I should do?

Disagree. If anything it's the opposite. Men should be jealous of women in this case.

If anything it's the men who should be going on a sex strike.

Men are the ones who take the risk when having sex. Women know they have abortion as a get out of jail free card. Men have no get out of jail free card. Men have to be careful as some women will actually try to get the condom from the trash or toilet to try to re insert the sperm into their vagina. Other women will lie about contraception. Never mind the fact that we know condoms can fail and break.

Women always say that maybe the woman wasn't ready for children. Well what about the man? Maybe the man wasn't ready for children either.

If the men's rights groups even remotely had their sh* together they could take advantage of this situation to finally even the playing field. Advise the feminists they'll support them on the abortion issue on one condition. The feminists groups have to support a financial abortion right for a man.

It wouldn't be that hard. Allow women 4 months to get an abortion (exceptions being health of the mother after that). Give men a 3 month period where they are allowed to get a financial abortion. They can tell the woman in writing that they are not interested in being a father and if the woman goes forward with the pregnancy regardless, then they will be supporting the child alone. The man would give up all parental rights to the child.

Giving the man 3 months and the woman 4 months from the date of conception would allow the woman to make the best decision for herself knowing that she will receive no support from the man.

But at the end of the day if women want abortion that badly, then men should absolutely have the right to a financial abortion.

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Holy shite dude - you're not getting locked up. Who the frick have you been talking to? Just go see a counselor.

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I was trying not to make this personal as (outside of my situation) I genuinely find the subject matter fascinating. I absolutely believe people should be able to end their life with dignity. That's not to say it should be encouraged but it should be legal. Would you have a problem with it being legal?

If you want to know about my situation personally my life just feels very hollow and pointless. I'm single and I've accepted that I'll probably always be single. For a long time that never bothered me but in the last year or two it's bothered me to a big extent. I'm lonely but I'm also not an easy person to get to know. Even my friends joke that I have 25 layers you have to get through. I just know I don't offer anything to this world and everything feels very hollow and pointless. I don't plan to end my life but a lot of times I go to sleep hoping I don't wake up. I am terribly lonely but I also know the chance of me getting into a quality relationship is slim to none.

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If you are not just trolling, I suggest you leave this forum
Contact these folks ASAP

Suicide Hotline

Seriously.

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I'll admit I've had some thoughts but even if I was serious I wouldn't be calling that number. I'll be damned if I get locked up in some looney bin against my will. Never mind I could never live that down with my family.

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Take a bunch of pills and die in your sleep.

This thread makes me depressed for you dude.
Get laid, find a woman, find some purpose in your life.

Go traveling to the mountains, to the ocean. Island hopping.

I think your problem is you are in a little hole where you think the world owes you something, but the world doesn’t give a shite.

You make your own way. Quit this stinkin thinkin and get to living and loving. You’ll be dead before you know it

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I never said the world owed me anything. This isn't even that much about me. But let me ask again, why is giving people the option to conclude their life on their own terms a bad thing? Why would a planned death be a bad thing? We try to plan most important aspects of our life but yet the 2nd most important thing that will ever happen to us (after birth) we leave up to pure chance?

If you take a bunch of pills and die in your sleep that will still probably be a painful death. Never mind you would die alone without family and friends being around to help you through the process. Is it that wrong that some people might prefer to plan their death so that it happens on their terms and with dignity?

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Lighten up. I retired at age 60 in 2002 - I'm now 80 enjoying the heck out of what life has to offer (single malt scotch, cuban cigars and fricking beautiful women). I plan to continue on this course for many years.

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I'm glad to hear that but you also need to understand that's not everyone's experience.

I've always been someone who believes quality of life is more important than quantity of life. I'd rather live 50 really great years than 100 mediocre years.

Take me for example. I'm 38 and I already have several medical conditions (two hereditary). I know it's not going to get better for me. But I'll be damned if I work until I'm broken down medically and then can't do the activities I want to do.

But the point is there's no options for people who support this.

At the end of the day let me ask you this. Why should people not have the ability to have a planned death? A death where they take a pill or injection that will simply put them to sleep. A painless death with dignity, surrounded by family and friends in your final moments. Is that really too much to ask? I think it's something that is compassionate and something everyone should have the ability to choose.

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This is the worst part of it all. People should have the freedom to enjoy life when they are younger and not have to work consistently until you’re too old to really enjoy life.

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And yet that's exactly how our system is set up. Work away during your younger years and then retire when you're too old to really enjoy life.

I saw it with my parents who don't do much. My uncle is right at 70 and is already having health problems. He'll probably retire in a few years and he won't be able to do anything. He won't be living, he'll just be waiting to die.

The way we set up our lives is really screwed up and it took a global pandemic for me to realize that.

As I've gotten older and am now approaching my 40s and middle age this is something I've thought about more. Why is the concept of a planned death so appalling to people? Why are people so against this?

And when I say a planned death I don't mean s*icide. That is a death that is without dignity, without family members around you and typically quite painful since you are doing it yourself.

I know we've talked about it before on this board. Would you want to live forever? Most of us even admit we wouldn't as life would get boring. As an older millennial (38) I'm screwed in terms of retirement. Most millennials, Gen Z's and even some of Gen X will never get to retire in the way Baby Boomers are able to retire.

Besides all that, what is so great about retirement anyway? Work your butt off for 40 years and physically destroy your body to get maybe 5 or 10 years in retirement? Who knows what you'll even be able to do in your 60s and 70s. It's something that I've definitely thought about since the pandemic.

Even my dad has told me a funny story before. My dad asked once (while working at GE) why the mandatory retirement age is 65. The answer he received: Because you'll be dead at 66. That's not retirement, that's putting you out to pasture since you aren't valuable to them anymore.

But my point is all this, with retirement being a mere fantasy for most people at this point, what about the idea of a planned death?

This could be an idea where you simply plan and pick an age. You could say "okay I'm going to plan to die at 60". That lets you plan everything. You could then work until you know you can make it under the planned death. You'll know exactly how much time you have so you can make sure you do everything you want. You can do this before you get the point where health issues might really hurt you and affect your ability to do what you wan in a traditional "retirement".

When your predetermined date comes where you will die, you can do so in comfort and with dignity. You can do it with family and friends by your side and not be alone. You can do it in a pain free way where your last moments will be of peace, not suffering.

What do you think? Do you agree with or are at least receptive to the idea of a planned death? Especially with considerations such as money, health, overpopulation and other concerns should this be an idea that gains traction in our society?