connecting the dots

I stumbled on a post yesterday - written in 2005 -- a truth that connects the dots, a truth about my own life, and my own family, written by a stranger. 


http://aelfscine.wordpress.com/2005/08/02/the-hub-fashions/


This is a story about greed.

This is a story about loss.... of life, of self, of things that don't matter. 

This is a story about growing old, and the turning over of the life cycle. 

This is a story about mental illness, so insidious and yet so blatant.  Judgement and reality long lost. 

This is a story about innocence---- and the birds eye view of a stranger who captured the essence of a being and a time now long gone. 


I have been so mad at him for the last weeks, for the insanity he inflicted on my life, and I had withdrawn back to my own life, had decided to walk away, at least for a while, until I saw this story, and I suddenly felt pity, and embarassment, and protective (all at once) for the crazy old man who is my father.

We are in a true war

Senior Fraud 
is a form of
terrorism
directed against
one family at a time.

The costs to our society are much larger than has been appreciated so far.

Your father is wiring 38K to Africa tomorrow

This is a day I will never forget :  December 23, 2009

The names and locations have been changed in order to protect the innocent.

The cell phone rings.  I answer it.  A strange voice on the other end says, "Hello, Anne.  This is Steven Johnson from the Bank in Smalltown, Minnesota. I am the president of the bank and thought I could justify calling you since your name is also on the account.  Your father has scheduled a wire for $38,000 to Africa tomorrow  We are concerned because we think he is being scammed.............."

Life has never been the same since that day.

Is there anybody out there?

This is my first blog.  I have never even read a blog.  I am writing this blog now to reach out to others like me, since I haven't found you by my personal searches on the internet.  Who am ?  I am a middle aged only child of Senior Citizen parents.  I am a contributing member of our society who deals intimately with the public every day, witnessing and participating with other families as they pass through some of life's important transitions.  I have watched my mother live with the devastating effects of stroke and then die of cancer.  I have watched my father turn from a once productive member of society to an old man, now both physically and mentally ill.  In turn with this change, I have personally lived through the terrorism, affecting one family at a time, inflicted by financial fraud, too good to be true investments, get rich quick schemes,  internationally based inheritance scams, junk mail promoting useless information, books, health supplements, financial advice or services. 

I am a physician with all the medical resources our world has to offer.  I have called upon government authorities in an attempt to protect my family.  I have hired lawyers.  I have gone to court.  I am a court appointed Conservator.  I have searched the internet for someone with better solutions than I have found so far. 

None of this has been enough.

If you are out there and you have had similar experiences, I would seek your comments.

Future posts on this blog will describe my experiences and expose elements that are operative in the process to steal from our most vulnerable members of our society.