Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Whirlwind Week

There are three annoyances to this week already. Illness, politics and mudslinging. It's just that time of year. I hate this time of year. I love spring, just not the political vitriol and allergies and just plain good old fashioned spring flu/colds.

Back up for two seconds. Let me put a list of synonyms up for VITRIOL: acidity, acidness, acridity, acridness, asperity, bile, bitterness, cattiness, corrosiveness, mordancy, tartness, virulence, virulency, and acrimony

I HATE politics. Don't get me wrong I get involved with educating myself and trying to weight the candidates and actually get out and vote. We grew up and were told and I believe it through and through: If you give up your right to vote, you've given up your right to complain. I hate how it also is tearing the country down piece by piece. It's tearing families apart. People are getting into heated debates. It's lately a match of who's muscles are bigger.

I remember as a kid we used to joke about "my daddy can beat up your daddy". Or doggy, mommy, sissy or brother. Whatever we wanted to use at the moment and by the time we were done we'd be rolling over laughing. It was getting past our anger to silliness.

Where is that now? Now it's my candidate is right for the job. Mudslinging. Misinformation left and right. All the anger and none of the OK the vote is done, let's get back to work TOGETHER. I said I wouldn't discuss political views here, and I won't.

Regardless of who you voted for it's more about moving forward. I am so glad that we live in a country where we CAN exercises our right to free speech. That we can do something if we are in the mood to claim a vote of no confidence. But there comes a point when you don't want to turn on the TV or the radio. Picking up a paper or surfing local news as it's everywhere.

There needs to be more truth in advertising with political ad campaigns. There needs to be more facts and less opinions in them. And it needs to be straight facts not opinion spun facts.

Add to all this political mumbo jumbo out there lately and a season allergy induced migraine and a daughter with a gastrointestinal virus... makes for one very nauseated day or so. I guess my blog isn't much sense today... except I see our country spinning out of control and more divided.

It's time we step up together. We start to work together. It's time to shake hands and move forward. It will have to work itself out. If we spend all our time and energy fighting each other, when will we start to work towards unity.

It's been said by Lincoln: A house divided against itself cannot stand. When are we going to learn. We are the siblings in the schoolyard picking on each other. Will it really take another clobber by someone outside of our "house" for us to realize that? Then it's all about that's MY sibling. No one can pick on that one but me.

I have but one question to ask, how many will suffer before we stand together? Perhaps we really look long and hard for some middle ground. I'll leave you with the Lincoln quote:

America will never be destroyed by the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Hoops and Red Tape

So often in our society I hear of people on welfare or social security (or social security disability) and I wonder how many hoops they had to jump through (esp. if it's for children) and just how much red tape there was. I'm speaking from my own rejected experiences and the horror stories I've witnessed and heard.

However, I've also heard all the stereotypes and comments. They are lazy. They are getting MY hard earned tax dollars. They don't want to work. Must be nice to have that luxury to do nothing all day and still have money to work with. I won't go on.

Sadly, there are people out there who abuse they system. It's a flawed program and there are people who take advantage of it. Yet, I also know that the majority of the people utilizing these programs would certainly wish they didn't need to.

In my father's case, he was a hardworking individual. Suddenly circumstances changed and welfare was needed to ensure that his family had food, medicine, and a roof over their heads. He worked two jobs and STILL needed help. He finally got to a better place and no longer needed it, and his life was up ended several times with the end result being that he could no longer work. He has become a broken man. A man who fought to get his much earned social security disability.

I see the distance in his face and remember the man he once was. I see the broken man. People shed pity on him. I shed prayers for strength. If he were to work he'd be in danger of paralysis or death. He seems so different now than the strong man who was there for me when I needed him most.

Then there is my daughter. She was denied. Why? Unofficially. Off the record... Because she can have a "normal" life with the help of medicine and therapy. No matter the cost. They aren't there to "help" those with "that" need. Understood loud and clear. She's not disabled ENOUGH. Why? Because she has a MENTAL HEALTH issue. Sure I could jump more hoops and deal with more red tape... taking more time away from her and her needs... and POSSIBLY change the mind of whoever overlooks it this time... But she needs me NOW.

The misunderstanding of mental health issues frustrates me in a world of hurt. In fact there are even psych doctors out there who can't agree with each other about mental health. They will question diagnosis'. They will argue about meds. and side affects. They will argue about specialists referrals and recommendations.

Sometimes I want to just scream in frustration. Most people just don't understand at all that one moment life can be all roses and very sitcom like in ways... and suddenly you are one step from homelessness, hunger, or welfare yourself.

So when you see people in situations that are unique to them and different from yours, try to be kinder. You never know where those shoes have traversed and are going daily.