Ok, for those masochistic readers that do not understand, will not understand, and label my ideals, ideas, principals, and life as generally selfish, immature, and lazy without opening up their hearts in any way to see the view from this side. . .well, here's another update - and no drama. I save the drama for my close friends who can handle it.
I am getting my Pennsylvania EMT license re-instated. This is an emergency medical technician license, a step down from paramedic. This is a license I paid for with waitress wages and completed when I was 9 months pregnant with my second child, after paying 100% for his home-birth - no mooching off of the welfare system there for an unnecessary hospital birth when I could do it all on my own and did. . .
I worked as an EMT in New Jersey until I developed a rare heart condition with pregnancy and was forced to quit, then the license lapsed because I stayed at home with the babies when my husband left. Now, that's not so dramatic, just the truth.
I also have an interview this afternoon for position of outstanding pay that would enable me to upgrade my equipment enough to seriously pursue the documentary and complete the bus.
Also, I have the need to clarify - I have worked all my life since I was 15. The only time I have not worked is right after my children were born. I paid for all of my college education. And I graduated with a bachelor's at age twenty. At the top of the class. After a full scholarship. I then worked for Americorps. That's supposed to make you feel like I gave back to the community. I have voluntarily chosen at this point in my life to physically remove those things that I am not entitled to because it's not an equal agreement -remove those and for a short while I was homeless. Now, it's an equal situation. I only say the next sentence for those whose imaginations run dry once money is not involved. . .
I could split the mortgage with my dear friend, who if you ask her, thinks I am helping her more then she is helping my family. If that is mooching, I suppose marriages are mooching, children under 12 are moochers, stay-at-home mothers are hippies and the president's kids are lazy. There have been in existence barter systems, communities, situations that are understood to be equal. I don't expect everyone to understand, I just hope they will.
In communities, we all have different jobs. Like the Christian church, Jesus Christ teaches that there are many parts to the body - you cannot have a face without a mouth and eyes, or a body with four hands and no feet. Some of us are meant to be doctors, trash collectors, teachers, artists, children, invalids, mentally retarded, raped, saved, imprisoned, addicts to give the counselors a job, photographers, dreamers, baristas, super-models (hahah), dog-catchers, preachers, homeless, and yes. . .hippies, if that's what Jesus was.
If I can bring about change without wealth, through equally sharing homes with others, without burdening the welfare system needlessly - then it won't be with getting a 9-5, leaving my kids at school for 11 hours a day - 55 hours a week. It will be from the inside, from teaching them the importance of life and love, what is necessary, what is frivolous. And so very much is frivolous.
“We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty.”
- Mother Teresa
“Who, being loved, is poor?”
- Oscar Wilde
“But I, being poor, have only my dreams. I have spread my dreams under your feet; tread softly, because you tread on my dreams.”
- William Yeats
“The mother of revolution and crime is poverty”
- Aristotle
i might be reading this wrong but it sounds more like you are trying to prove these points to yourself rather than the fine upstanding citizen who made that nasty little comment on your last post. Sounds like someone's mad at you. Just sayin'.
ReplyDeleteSri Narasimha Selassie I Krishna
Dear Sister their is no need to explain yourself to ill hearted people for they do not know you and probably never will, for it is said that
ReplyDelete"We have the need to justify everything, to explain and understand everything, in order to feel safe. We have millions of questions that need answers because there are so many things that the reasoning mind cannot explain. It is not important if the answer is correct; just the answer itself makes us feel safe. This is why we make assumptions. We make all sorts of assumptions because we don’t have the courage to ask questions."
"Don’t take anything personally - Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering."
So stop beating yourself up. You are a wonderful mother and that is all that needs to be said,you are on the path of finding who you are and striking that perfect balance, it will take time, but just remember you are always in our thoughts and prayers.
Blessings and love.
Your Sister-in-law :)