John McCarthy lives what he calls a “strategic” existence. He’s 74, fortunate to be very healthy, but has struggled with learning disabilities his entire life, which have limited his income and opportunities.
It’s an “invisible disability that has created some challenges and often made me depend on the kindness of strangers,” he said, adding that it’s also made him resourceful and generous.
The Salt Lake City senior citizen makes do on $1,700 a month, which puts him over the federal poverty line for a one-person household in 2026 — $1,330 — but well within the government’s definition of low income…