Not-So-Normal Mom

Last year, around this time, my heart was racing as I felt the dread of losing my home to the fires that were raging through our county. We, with anxieties mounting, watched the news as our community members grabbed loved ones and precious belongings and fled into an angry, flaming night, fearing for their lives. We were lucky. While we did get the news that we should be prepared, and we could see the flames tickling the hills near our home, we were safe. Our van sat five feet from our back door, loaded with a bag for each of us, our wedding pictures, insurance papers, and food and shelter for our animals. We were convinced that we weren't worried about losing our home, as long as our family was safe.

Now, a year later, that sense of anxiety is mounting again, but this time, it's because those around us are losing their jobs and their homes. You might have heard that Mervyns filed for bankruptcy, but what you might not know is that my mom and all of my adopted "aunties" have worked for Mervyns for 20 plus years.

The news is replete with businesses closing their doors, or employees getting laid off. If you're like me, you watch the news with a small tinge of sadness, thinking about how all of this will pan out. I know that I thought of those faceless employees and thanked God that I wasn't affected by the jobless situation.

Now, even though it hasn't yet permeated my small corner of the world in the same way it has affected others, I feel the pain and angst that plagues my mom and her friends-my aunties. These are women who don't have "formal" education. They worked their way up the ladder like so many women their age have done.

They worked in a retail store, where they began as a cashier or a stocker. They worked very hard, and proved themselves to be worthy of promotion after promotion, suffering through small raises and slave labor until they finally reached the level where they were given the opportunity to be managers and make a good salary with benefits. They reached middle age when their kids moved out and they could enjoy their salary by finally taking vacations and enjoying their husbands. They were also able to buy gifts for their families and enjoy the years prior to retirement.

Now, all of that hard work is gone. *poof!* Their 401ks are just about worthless, and they are all in their 50's, not yet ready for retirement, without a job. So without that "formal" education, and being the age that they are, what's next?

I've said before that my mom is one of the strongest women I know. She's smart and an extremely hard worker. If our country's economic situation wasn't in the dire straits that it is in now, I wouldn't be so worried. She deserves better than this.

The flames are tickling my ankles and the anxiety is mounting. It may be time again to hold everyone close and send up a prayer.

Peace Out,
Mom

I wish that I could be independently wealthy. That would be fantastic. I've mentioned before that we work a lot. I'm not complaining. It was our decision to buy this house, so we need to work to keep it.

My middle son's friend lives down the street from us. Well, we live in a condo, so he lives in the next building over. A couple of weeks ago, I saw his mom at the school and she told me that they were going in to foreclosure. She is a stay-at-home mom with three kids. The oldest is in middle school with my son, the middle daughter is in kinder, and the youngest is three. Her husband works during the day. She told me that he was working a lot and he was really stressed out all of the time. So I asked her why she didn't get a night job, a few days a week, that she could work after he cam home at night. She said that she tried that, but she was just too tired. Then, she shared with me that her mortgage is about half of what we pay-for the same sized condo. So this week, they are moving into a small apartment-a two-bedroom because they are short-selling their condo.

Now, I know that many people are facing the fact that they may lose their house. It's a reality. I have a hard time not passing judgement on their situations.

For us, we have asked the bank numerous times to work with us to drop our 4-grand a month mortgage. When we bought the condo, we were assured that after two years, we would be able to refinance for a smaller mortgage payment. I guess no one could have foreseen that the housing market would drop so much that we would lose half of what we bought our house for, therefore eliminating the option of refinancing.

So we work-a lot. I don't want to lose the first home that we bought together. Yes, it's stressful, but it's worth it. I hope.

Peace Out,
Mom

Yesterday, I went to a lecture on our community college campus. Initially, I went because my professor friend was the one who organized the event, and to be honest, the lecturer is a beautiful man. So what drew me in ended up not being the same thing that kept me hooked.

E. Benjamin Skinner is a modern day abolitionist. He wrote a book called A Crime So Monstrous:Face-To-Face With Modern Day Slavery. I learned from this man that there are more slaves in the world today than there ever where at the time when slavery was legal in our country. He shared stories of heartache and horror. He told the audience about being able to buy human life for only 50 dollars in many parts of the world. He told us about a young down syndrome girl who was offered to him for the price of a used car. He told us stories of all of these atrocities that I had no idea were still happening on the level that he describes. And now, I am forever changed.

Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, "History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people." To me, that means that when you know that something awful is happening, if you don't speak out about it, and do something to change it, you are just as much at fault as those who perpetuate the evil injustices. I don't want to be one of those people. And to be honest, after seeing Mr. Skinner, and meeting him afterwards, I just don't think that I can just sit back and let it all happen.

After the lecture, there was a luncheon that I was lucky enough to be invited to. When I met him, up close and in person, he was a very genuine and warm man. I told him that I was honored to meet him. My friend told him what I do and he replied that everything that he ever learned about writing, he learned from an English tutor. And everything that he learned wrong was from an English teacher. Of course, that really made me like him even more. ;-) I asked him what someone like me, just a simple mom and tutor, could do to help. He said that there were organizations that help to rehabilitate freed slaves and they need help with education-learning the basics. Immediately, I thought, "I can do that!"

Now, my goal is to find out what I can do to make a difference-as small as it may be-and encourage my friends to do the same.

You can find information on his book here: A Crime So Monstrous

You can also find information on Free The Slaves, an organization that helps free and rehabilitate slaves, here: Free The Slaves

I hope that the stories, and the plight of enslaved people around the world, touch your heart as much as they did mine.

Peace Out,
Mom

*Jumping up on soap box*

Why is it that people feel the need to forward me emails about miracles that were performed by the common man or woman, with the influence of God whispering, and sometimes shouting, in their ears to influence their decisions? Following these unbelievable stories of coincidence combined with divine intervention, there are always instructions, requiring me to forward to 10, 20, or 40 friends to "prove" that I believe in, or love, God.

Last I checked, God didn't have email. And I don't need to prove to anyone but God that I believe in him-or her, for that matter. Maybe it's the cynic in me, but I know that these emails are fabricated by individuals with wonderful imaginations. Why can't you see that????

*Stepping down from the soapbox*

Peace Out,
Mom

I'm watching the vice-presidential debate and I'm baffled. They both don't support gay marriage??? What???? I knew that Palin didn't, but.... What????

Peace Out,
Mom