MY HEART ACHES AND NOT JUST FROM AGE BUT FOR THOSE NOT OF AGE

By Rosaldo Russo Allow me to begin this column by thanking the Oshawa/Central newspaper for allowing me the opportunity and access to the press. Not to many if any allow an average person like me to tell the world what I see and think. In my opinion. The Editor/Publisher is a real upstanding type of guy. He shoots from the hip and hold traditional core values. My name is Rosaldo Russo. I came to this great country to make a better life for myself and my family. I thank Canada for everything it has allowed me to do and earn. I worked construction all my life. I know the value of hard work and honesty. I remember as a boy my father always telling me to work hard and buy land. So I did. I remember days when I did not have enough to eat. I go to work... but I did not wait for hand outs. I rounded up my pride my skill and my determination to succeed and went to work. In those days the only benefits we received was the fact we were employed. Before retiring I was the owner and operator of local material supply company that allowed me to retired without worry. Now that I have time to enjoy life. I look around me and have some concern for future generations. I see that the world is finished. From the big Canadian corporations to your average person walking the street. People have changed and they have changed for the worst. I remember closing million dollar deals on a shake hand an or my word. Today, you can’t trust not even the shadow that follows you everywhere. Corporations today are not about you or me. Forget about customer service. They will do whatever they can to make a dollar off your hard work. They make you sign contracts without letting you read the fine print. Corporation hide behind policy and procedure. Not to mention, the lengthy automated systems. Now with the introduction of Artificial Intelligence and robotics. Good bye Charlie Brown to jobs. Jobs that saves these corporation millions. The other day driving through Oshawa. I noticed this young man. He looked like he was able and fit to work. I rolled down my window and said to him. “Hey, buddy. How would you like to do yard work for a good meal and decent pay?”. The man looked at me in the eye and first thing that came out of his mouth was. “HOW MUCH DOES IT PAY? I can make about a $100/day doing this”. Really. He is begging for money. Common sense would tell you that someone is offering you work you take it on the spot. This new generation has no clue what it feels to truly have to suffer and go without food/shelter. This man, probably living on the street. Living off the money the government gives him and hand outs. This man had no real ambition and or goals. He lived day by day. This scares me. As this type of man is why society is failing. Crime is up and the family institution is changing. No one has responsibility for anything. I know in my day. I may have been poor but my goal was to work as hard as I could to feed my family and make something out of my life. I am no scholar. I had to learn my trade the hard way. No one gave me anything. Not that I would take it as if we can’t have self esteem and believe in our efforts. What purpose is there in life. I was shocked and appauled by this mans response. Then I look at the bigger picture and begin to understand why corporate Canada treats us they way they do. If we don’t care to fight back. We are easy picking for corporations to make millions off our lack of self respect. We need to teach our kids the value of a hard days work. Then again for those that do try hard and educate themselves. Look at their hardships do to poor governmental leadership. People we as a society are doomed. I can’t believe it. Godspeed.