There has been a minor furore this week in the comments pages of the Fairfax press, following an article about unemployed mum Sandra Reynolds, who started a blog about feeding her family on a budget after she found herself reduced to relying on unemployment benefits and charity handouts.
I was astounded to read some of the vitriole people have posted.
“yeh i so totally wish i could quit my boring job too and cook all day and live off centrelink! tut tut. Find a job for gods sake.”
“You don’t quit a paying job until you have another to go to. She should be stripped of all benefits and made to live on the streets.”
… you get the drift.
Much of the criticism seems to stem from the view that she shouldn’t have quit her job. Well, perhaps she shouldn’t have. Quitting one’s job without having another lined up is generally not the smartest thing to do. But as some commentators have pointed out there may be circumstances we’re not aware of, and in any case we mustn’t forget that we’re all human, and therefore not infallible. We all make mistakes. She’s not denying that she made a mistake.
But then – and let’s remember that there’s no point in crying over spilt milk – she goes on to make the best out of a bad situation. She doesn’t settle for being a “dole bludger”. She gets out there and does something constructive, worthwhile and useful with her time. That should be applauded. She has shown initiative, discipline, patience and determination. All attributes that should be admired and commended.
And furthermore, she’s shown great strength of spirit and forbearance to not get involved in this slanging match of insults.
What disappoints me the most about this is it shows how quick people are to judge and find fault. What’s wrong with seeing the positive in something? What’s wrong with giving someone the benefit of the doubt? Why must we always assume the worst about people?
In so many aspects of life people are so ready to jump to the conclusion that the other person is at fault.
Let’s all step off our self-important moral-high-ground pedestals for a moment and actually try to see each other as fellow human beings, who are all trying to live life as best as possible. We’re not really all that different from one another. We’re all bumbling along this path of life, all making mistakes, all not being perfect. We all want to be happy, to provide for our families, to be with the people we love.
I’m sure Sandra has made some mistakes in her life – but so have you. So has Shane Warne. So have I. So has everyone.
There’s a follow-up article in The Brisbane Times here.
A response from John Bermingham here.
Sandra’s blog can be found here.
Image from The Brisbane Times.