People use different tools to pay for school

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 02/02/2016 (3866 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Dear Miss Lonelyhearts: I have a slightly different take on the letter from the university gigolo. In addition to receiving some scholarships at my high school graduation, I paid my tuition for six years of university by working at various part-time jobs, as did my siblings, friends, and classmates. Some of them even worked full time to make ends meet while juggling their course loads. We took jobs in retail, fast-food restaurants, babysitting, you name it, but prostitution or anything in that realm didn’t even cross our minds. We are now professionals in a variety of careers.

As a person who worked very hard to get where I am today, I’m insulted this fellow thinks this is his only option. How does he think everyone else pays for their education? Does he really think this is a typical way of earning money? Has he never heard of bursaries or student loans or any other options? You don’t need any formal training to work at Tim Hortons or a store in the mall.

It sounds like he’s too lazy to find honest, gainful employment where he pays taxes like the rest of us. In that case, he shouldn’t even consider medical school or any other professional career that demands a solid work ethic. It seems like this guy just wants to cut corners, and medical school is a decade-long venture. Is he going to pimp himself out for that long?

Sounds like he wrote in to brag about what a stud he thinks he is. He doesn’t even see a problem with what he’s doing and that it’s not sustainable in the long run, for a variety of reasons. His complete lack of basic resourcefulness and problem-solving skills are beyond troubling and I wouldn’t want someone like that to be my doctor.

— Making An Honest Living Since ’98, Windsor Park

Dear Making An Honest Living: Yes, there seemed to be a level of bragging going on there, and he certainly did find a cushy way to get himself through university. Although it may not be honourable, especially when so many others are working themselves to the bone at part and full-time jobs, the question in the column was ultimately about the legality of having two women who know each other take care of his drop-in sex visits with money to support him so he wouldn’t have to work and study.

To my mind, there’s no doubt he’s engaged in prostitution, which is no longer illegal for the one providing the service, if they are discreet about it. But should it be illegal for the receivers of the service in a case like this? Should these two older ladies be in front of a judge? Your outrage is certainly understandable, as is your questioning of his values and work ethic, but other readers saw no problem with it. Perhaps, they were never in your shoes. It’s extremely hard to work and attend university, study hard, complete projects and still get the high marks needed to graduate. No wonder you’re mad!

Dear Miss Lonelyhearts: My neighbour is a snow-blowing idiot. The other day he blew enough snow to block my garage door so I couldn’t get my car out without shovelling for half an hour. I was late for work and caught hell. When he’s sleeping tonight, I’m going to return the favour, and he can dig himself out and be late for work himself! I have no end of problems with this jerk. The next time he yells at me to turn my music down, I’m going to blast it out the windows at this place in the middle of the night. I just wanted to get this off my chest. — Idiot’s Neighbour, Osborne Village

Dear Idiot’s Neighbour: There’s a lot more to this story than you are telling me. Write back with details of the rest of the escalating feud. Surely, we can find an answer beyond your tit-for-tat revenge strategy.

Please send your questions and comments to lovecoach@hotmail.com or Miss Lonelyhearts c/o the Winnipeg Free Press, 1355 Mountain Ave., Winnipeg, MB, R2X 3B6

Miss Lonelyhearts
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