A blog about Family & Home, Personal Journals, and Relationships.
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It's 1976 in Swingtown Living beyond your means Killer Bees! The Bucket List A NEW DAY Every Picture Tells a Story... Happy Memorial Day Feminism in the 21st Century The body human Ever have one of those days? February 07 March 07 April 07 May 07 June 07 July 07 August 07 September 07 October 07 November 07 December 07 January 08 February 08 March 08 April 08 May 08 June 08 July 08 August 08 
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Few average folk set out to purposely “live beyond their means.” Last week a small group of bloggers were quick to jump to the conclusion that a young woman was “living beyond her means” and thus, shouldn’t ask for help, or be freely blessed with the charity of those who chose to trust and help someone without explanation or expectation. But let’s face it, most Americans “live beyond their means” whether they mean to or not. Over the past couple of generations, it’s almost as if the “American Dream” has overslept. Now the alarms are going off, and we’re all waking up to the fact that “getting ahead” means that your 40 hour work week requires 55 or more hours...But please don’t expect any overtime, as the majority of businesses that have downsized three jobs into your one can’t possibly be expected to afford compensation for your inability to multi-task efficiently. Of course jobs are scarce and maybe your degree is in the wrong field, out of date, or non-existent, so you’re willing to accept a just-scrape-by salary, double digit percentiles below industry standards. Maybe going back to school will help, so you better find another 30+ hours a week in your schedule, and hey, you can worry about those student loans in a couple of years. Rising mortgage and rent costs, insurance coverage for medical, auto, property, life, even burial, will easily eat up 2/3 of your income. Those who have young children must also find quality childcare that doesn’t exceed their monthly income. And still you need to have money left for gasoline, groceries and maintenance of that home, car and even the body you pay so dearly to insure against everything from disease, to disaster, to death. Still, somehow most folks find the means, or stretch their credit limits, to pay for basic utilities, cell phones, internet service, cable, and various other forms of frivolous American-style excesso-tainment.
Still, occasionally there is enough left over from our collective memory of the elusive American Dream that our humanity makes some of us want to give when and what we can, to those we see as less fortunate or in greater need. Fortunate enough to able to gripe about the price of gas, politics, religion, or sex and drugs and rock and roll, if we so chose.
So next time you’re quick to judge another for living beyond their means, just maybe you could forego one latte or value meal, and be just a little charitable towards another. It might just be humanity you’re helping. Your humanity.
So, now that I'm done venting, do you really “live within your means?” Do you perform acts of charity or humanity without explanation or expectation? Let’s see your humanity, bloggers. (Except for Gube. We’ve all seen enough of your “humanity!”) & nbsp;
Help! Okay, they may only be "killer bees" to those like me who are allergic...but I have a huge swarm of bees around the inflatable pool (not a small one) and they're not leaving in spite of my polite requests. How can I get them to leave without testing out the theory that the second sting will be less life threatening than the first? The first put me in the hospital with anaphalactic shock and on a respirator for 3 days. How can I get them to buzz off - quickly?! Go home and dance in the sand under the stars with those I love Write a novel See my children graduate... ------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- A couple of nights ago I watched The Bucket List, with Jack NIcholson and Morgan Freeman, and although it wouldn't make my list for ooochild's top flicks blog, it has resonated within me these past few days. It seem's there's been lots of death and drama lately, surrounding and bombarding just about everyone I care about. I'm really not the morbid type, but I find myself contemplating my own mortality more and more lately. Probably because I have young children and I 'aint no spring chicky anymore. Recently, my health has thrown me a bit of a curve ball, requiring some major lifestyle changes, and quite possibly redefining my perception of what it means to be a "disabled person." Even so, I can't help but think how lucky, how blessed I truly am. Anyhow, I found myself wondering if it's truly possible to make a meaningful "Bucket List" without the urgency of a terminal illness coloring your perception. On the other hand, why wait? In the movie, when Freeman tells Nicholson it was meant to be a metaphorical list, I thought, 'Yeah you cocky, rich ba$tard, it's personal, it's not about what your money can buy!' I won't spoil the ending, but I'm sure you can guess that "priceless" is not just a Mastercard slogan. After my mom passed on, my dad told me about this great song he'd heard, called Live Like You Were Dying. He was a man of few words who chose music to express most of life's deeper emotions, and my Bucket List starts off with his highest hopes for my happiness when he told me in a song, I Hope You Dance. So how many of you TN bloggers will want to ride a bull named Fu Manchu? Go skydiving? What things in life are just too important to put off?
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