St. Louis' Suburban Poor

Many, many people have commented on today's economy. The President, in his State of the Union Address, seemed to feel that the economy has made a turn-around. Well, respectfully stated, I don't agree.

The next few blog posts will be addressing my own experiences with being in what is called "The Working Poor" or as I call it, "The Suburban Poor." These posts will not be a rant, but a presentation of a situation and, hopefully, a few ideas to make things better.

In 2002, I was laid off from a job that paid me the highest salary I ever earned. Had I not been laid off, I probably would have been able to take my young family on our first, ever family vacation. While that job would not have put us in a fancier neighborhood, our bills were finally getting caught up and we were getting out of debt. Things looked rosie for a change.

I took the layoff well; I detested my job and saw the layoff as an opportunity to further my education and get that bachelor's degree I had been talking about for so long. I was foolishly confident that I would land another job in no time - I had the skills and experience that were in demand.

God decided otherwise.

Since 2002, I completed my BA in advertising/marketing communications. Looking for work in my chosen field was consistently met with, "Sorry, but we are looking for someone more qualified." Translation: I'm too old. My husband's disability needed more of my attention as did my young children. I volunteered at their schools and scout meetings.My elderly mother was showing signs of dementia, but I didn't pick up on those signals. When she fell down the basement stairs and broke her neck, I realized I needed to take charge of her care. Her dementia became worse as well as her health and she passed away three years ago. At no time during all these years, had I ever been able to pursue a full-time job. I am still the primary care-giver for my husband.

I have been working retail for the last five years and making less than I did 20 years ago. Needless to say, bill paying is almost impossible. We have applied for help through the state only to be told that I am making too much money. Jack's disability only covers the house payment and a utility bill or two. My meager paycheck doesn't cut it and we often alternate what bills get paid each month. Eventually, this arrangement catches up with us and then we have to apply for help somewhere else. However, help isn't always available. Did I mention we are back in debt?

Now we are facing collection calls, utility shut offs, and possible foreclosure on our home. The nursing home that cared for my mother is suing me for unpaid bills. While I don't carry credit card debt (I learned that lesson already), I took out loans on the house. Things here are very bleak. My husband's mother was helping us as best as she could, but now his siblings are threatening us with a lawsuit if we don't pay her back. She is also very elderly.

Over the course of history, the poor have always been punished or shunned to "their place." It seems that it's easy to pick on the vulnerable of our society. Jesus cautioned us, or rather - admonished us, "Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."(Matthew 25:40 - King James version) Why is this message so lost on our society and governance?

Next blog - Food Pantries and Creative Cooking.

Politics, Opinions, and Freedom of Expression

Throughout the last Presidential election and since the election, I have received numerous e-mails from well-meaning friends and family members about how our country is headed straight for a socialist agenda, the new health care bill will enforce euthanasia on our senior citizens, and all sorts of other "end of the world as we know it" predictions. I can't count how many e-mails have pointed the invisible finger of blame on those who voted for our current president and how the next "Fourth Reich" and another holocaust will happen because of those voters' ignorance.

First of all, quit with the "sky is falling" nonsense. It would not matter who won the White House because the losing side will kick up a stink about how bad this country is getting and it's all the fault of the current administration. Enough already.

Second, I'm not convinced we are headed for a socialist government. We still have the right to vote and if you don't like who is in office now, vote that person out at the next election. Just keep in mind, you are limited to who is running for office. Your son's algebra teacher may be a really terrific person, but if he/she is not running for political office, a vote for that person won't mean a hill of beans. If you don't like the selection, get in there yourself and run for office. You think you got what it takes, then let's see it. It's a free country and anyone can become President if he/she wants it bad enough.

A lot of flak has been made about free handouts to those who don't seemingly deserve it. I agree that the illegal immigrant situation is a sticky one and since my knowledge of it is rather limited, I will keep any opinions on this to myself. However, I caution those who are so tough on those immigrants - most of us came from someplace else. My ancestors came from England, Ireland, Prussia, and Germany. We settled in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Ohio, Illinois and Missouri. My family has been here since the early 1800's and it's only recently that my German side decided to keep the English and get rid of the German. As far as the handouts go, I challenge any one of these Americans to travel to another country with only the clothes on their backs, little money and education, and try to start a new life. Without a little help, it would be impossible. But go ahead, give it a try and let me know how well you do.

I agree that we have a much more divided country as far as monetary wealth. Seems the middle class is getting squeezed out by the wealthy. I have encountered this so much in my life that I often feel hopeless and wonder why I even bother. The things that used to be for the "every man" are no longer available. A baseball game used to be the family event of the summer - now it's the rich man's diversion. Not fair at all. Amusement parks and carnivals used to also be welcoming to everyone, now they are so overpriced that many cannot attend. Do I think the current administration can fix this? No. I believe that in order for change to happen, we must all accept the failings of our society and vow to make a change for the better. Corporate bigwigs should not be rewarded for failures and people in power should go without a few more perks. Those who have borne hardships should not have their efforts slapped in their faces by those who can just because they can. Not fair. Socialism is not the answer - we have all seen that. But a collective conscience of responsibility to our society, country, and world should be present and encouraged. Truthfully, this scenario of social responsibility really never has existed. Just look in your history books.

Many Americans have fought and died for our freedoms and this will remain the case for our country. Yes, the nay-sayers have the same freedom of expression as I do and thank God for that! However, please stop harassing me because you don't like the way I or someone else voted. The election is over - deal with it and move on with your life.

I don't know if the billions doled out in stimulus packages is going to work and I don't know if socialized medicine will work. All I do know is that things aren't working now, including me. Something must give. If you don't like the current proposals, you have the freedom to change them. I know I have that freedom and I'm not afraid to use it.