Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Political angst

My high school graduating class has a dedicated person who will forward along to all of the over 200 graduates anything class members choose to share - except when one of us is soliciting funds for a charity or trying to sell something.  I think that's appropriate.  And most of us know not to get "political" even though some of the snarky comments are borderline.  

Anyway, someone posts a story from 1985, mind you, about a hometown ball field, (one he grew up playing on, and he's 75 years old now!) Seems it was in such bad shape, county commissioners were proposing it be closed. Thirty years ago! And my former classmate goes on a mini-rant about when the government gets involved in "anything dealing with kids they really mess it up."  I just wanted to scream.  Who the hell does he think builds, maintains, and staffs parks (for kids)? The government!  City, County, State, National government. When was the last time big business built a park for kids?  Are we living in alternate universes?  And besides, that park has been absorbed by a nearby school athletic association.  Not exactly unavailable to kids.  Arghhhh.

My dad was a disinterested worker bee for the U.S. Government for thirty years, and he retired to be continuously taken care of by the government for the rest of his life.  Multiple surgeries, hospital stays, etc. etc.  Not one thin dime out of his pocket.  

I walk into a doctor's office and get essentially free care; my husband's last surgery probably was over a hundred thousand dollars - not a penny from us.  Who do all the government haters think is taking care of them/going to take care of them forever?  Not capitalism, not free market economics, not major corporations. The government. 

Medicare was supposed to run out of money by 2016 - wait that's now, right? And the Affordable Care Act along with lower healthcare costs (lowest since 1960) allowed the trust fund to stabilize until 2030.  Hmmm.  But isn't that "Obama Care?" Give me strength.  


Who makes sure the air we breathe, the food we eat, the roads we drive on, and the water we drink are safe? Who employs law enforcement?  Does anyone really believe that private enterprise would do that?  I know there is waste, I know there is corruption, I know the system is fraught with problems and bloat, etc. but I would hate to try to exist watching  the lowest bidder provide all those services.

But that's just me.

Friday, January 1, 2016

Good stress. Bad Stress. All still stressful.



Stress level charts rate life events that cause stress and say that if one has several of these at one time, it exacerbates the stress considerably.  No one died, but I’ve had so many life changes lately that I have whiplash from trying to adjust to them all:
1. We moved from a one bedroom apartment in a senior citizen complex in south Florida within five minutes of every commercial establishment one could name, including good restaurants and conveniences galore to north-central Florida into a modest home on five acres of land in a small town with one restaurant and several antique stores.
2. We adopted a dog – very sweet but with some anxiety issues from former owners’ less than compassionate care.  A dog.  Nervous and insecure.  Haven’t had a dog for probably 15 years.
3. I’m getting fat.  At “home” I walked in a nearby park most mornings for twenty minutes or I swam in the heated condo pool, so I got exercise at least four days a week.  Now I stomp around on the five acres hoping to avoid a limb to trip on looking for snakes.  No cardio is involved.  
4. I quit my job (12 years at this one, but it was at the same place I had a 20 year career – that’s over 30 years in one location). I had money coming in from that job – “pin money” I spent without thinking about it.  I’m still doing that, but I don’t have the money coming in any longer.  I worry about that but don’t change my behavior.
5. I live 24-7 with my husband now.  I cook for him – and myself – and I eat too much. (See number 3).
6. I left the social contacts and friends from both the job and from being born and raised there.
7. I became a grandmother - a hands-on grandmother, babysitting two days a week.
8. I went from being four hours away from my grown kids to having them within minutes away.

The stress scale admits that some of the stressors in one’s life can be good things, happy things, and certainly some of mine are – actually most of them are, but they still create stress.  Change is difficult.

My life goal remains the same: Be kind, be engaged, and make a difference.

Or: No complaining, no criticizing, and no condemning.