All About Ben

By Ben Robinson

Ben Robinson

This saddens me greatly. I thought I was so lucky because Bobby Haley, founder of Kentucky Missions, was planning a trip this summer, and I was in position to go with them.

“Nothing will change my mind,” I promised myself.

I had planned to pay for the trip with half of my tax return money. So I filled out my taxes and came up with a figure of $575 I should be getting back. The IRS even sent me a letter saying I might be eligible for more.

Then the next letter came from the IRS. It said that my tax return was used to pay back taxes that I did not know I owed. In addition to the $575, they wanted me to send around $9,000, which of course I do not have.

I went to the IRS office in Greenville, and they said I needed to fill out forms from 2006, 2008 and 2010 because I might owe more.

I filled them out and returned to the office and was told I filled them out wrong. So I will adjust them again this week. Hopefully I will find out that they cannot tax that much from such a low income. But this year’s return is pretty much shot regardless.

I thought about the Kentucky trip and the kids I would be working with. Reluctantly, I decided that to go further in debt to make the trip would not serve anyone well, except my ego. Some good people were going to be on that trip, and the kids will feel love, regardless of whether or not I am with them. They have too much important work to do to have to worry about the broke guy on their team.

So I would have to just do the Christian thing and pray for the team while they are gone. It sounds empty when I say it, but it actually helps those who are taking care of the trip.

Of course, next year, it will be different. I’ll start putting $5 a week into an account and be ready next year if the Pickens-Twelve Mile group is able to return. I may never get a tax return again, so I won’t count on that money. I plan to save enough for a trip with the Pickens-Twelve Mile group and a trip with Bobby if he goes again next year, and if he allows me to go with him.

My grand-nephew Karson Hamilton turned 1 year old this weekend. I need to make sure this mission trip is still alive when he turns 13 and is ready to go himself.

Until then, I need to work hard at this job. I may not be able to teach Kentucky children about Jesus this summer, but that is no excuse for me to neglect what I can do here. I hope I can make Rocky’s life easier by helping the paper turn a profit. Rock is still too young to be sporting gray hair.

So though I am sadly unable to return to Kentucky this year, I need to put that aside and do what I can to help people right here in Pickens County.