The cost of Living

Ok, you do not need money to be happy in life. Self happiness comes from within. But unfortunately, you do need money to do everything else in life. Like basic education.
Some people have a gift of working hard and earning a living even without an education. Like my husband. He learned a roofing trade at age 14. But he used his basic counting skills to earn money. And he didn't spend what he didn't have.
I also chose a trade in hairdressing when I left school in 1982 because I thought I was good at styling hair. I was, but a hairdressing trade didn't provide a good income (It was 40 Irish pounds then for an apprenticeship) and I had to work double the average working week to just meet my financial needs, doing friends and families hairs late into my nights to earn a little more money. And I got used to never having enough money. I was fine. I didn't judge others for what they had. I was prepared to work hard for the things I needed.
 If myself and my husband had to live on my income only, we would never have been able to provide for our children's educational needs or the sports they chose, or nice holidays, even a basic mortgage.
Today in Ireland, there are still an enormous amount of Irish people on lower incomes, still struggling to provide for their childrens' needs. Some because of the effects of the recent recession (2007) and some because they live on social welfare.
The people in Ireland who live on social welfare are there because of the lack of educational and emotional help when they were children of indeed the last recession in the late 70's.
The Irish people, even in so called dysfunctional families, now realize that education is the key for their children's future. It's the link for them to be able to move away from poverty and repression and earn a higher income.
Education was always the key to a more prosperous life. We ordinary people of Ireland are only catching on to this now, but our governments knew this, even in the past decades. They left the poor were they were, just providing for their basic needs.
I'm not blaming our governments for everything. I believe if you can provide for your childrens' health and education, it is your right and duty to ensure that duty of care.
If people are on social welfare, due to disability, lack of education and dysfunction, well thats where the government needs to target their resources. they are entitled to educate their poor, meet their emotional needs. We all know the outcome will be better in the long run.
 Before my 40's, I had little confidence in myself and I knew that education was the key to my freedom. As I grew emotionally, I felt that God led me on the path of writing.
Now at last, I feel that I'm on the road I should be. I love sharing my experiences and life lessons and I work hard every day writing and promoting what I write.  Jean Murray.xx