Being paid to help people

When I went to buy our coffee today, Margie insisted I take her credit card to pay for the coffee, but when I came back, she asked me if her daughter has a hard time paying her credit card bill. 

“She pays all my bills, but I don’t know where she gets the money to pay them.”

I told Margie she has a pension that covers her expenses.

“I have a pension? Why?”

Because you worked for many years for the State of California. 

“I did?”

You were a social worker in the department of rehabilitation.

“Oh yes!” The lights came on. “Rehab. I remember that. I loved doing that. But I didn’t do it for money. I was a volunteer.”

I explained she was a social worker, paid to help people with disabilities. She helped them train or re-train for occupations they could do with the abilities they had. I told her she was very good at it, and she became a supervisor.

“They paid me to help people?” She was incredulous. “Let me get this straight. You’re telling me that the State. What State was it?”

California.

“The State of California paid me to help people? And now they still send me money? What do you call that?”

A pension.

“They send me money for helping people? Which I would have done for free? How could I be so lucky? Does that make sense to you?”

I reminded her she had three children to support, so she had to have an income to care for her children and pay for their education.

“Did I pay for my children’s education?” She wasn’t sure.

I said absolutely. Your eldest is a medical researcher. Your middle child is a doctor. And Lucy works for the City.

“Oh, wow! That must take a lot of education. I have always believed in education. I sent them to school?”

I assured her.

“I approve of that. I have always believed in education. I approve of that.”