No mocking at all 2Bmom. I apologize if I offended you or your son. No offense was ever intended. Life is too short for all of that! My only mistake, evidently, was assuming that the IRS was fair game for everyone regardless of their political persuasion. I guess my assumption was wrong. My comment was not about your son's accomplishments, but rather about the IRS being directed to collect from those who have achieved. And your son has achieved!
I was just trying to have some fun 2Bmom. I am aware that we are quite opposite in our political beliefs. I have many liberal friends and family members and we all get along. I disagree with them, but always respect them. And I respect you for your commitment to your beliefs. I really do. Do you respect me for the same?
I'm not offended by you calling me an ***. I know in my heart that I respect you and your son and no offense was ever intended. Perhaps you didn't know this about me before you responded. I am firm in my beliefs, but that does not make me disrespectful. It's necessary for all of us to pull together as much as we can to get our country back on track and chugging towards prosperity.
Everyone wants pretty much all of the same things. A good education, affordable healthcare, a clean environment, safe streets, a secure country, and a fair opportunity to make something worthy of their life. As always, the disagreement is the method by which we get there. But we'll overcome that. We have to. For your son and my children, we must.
And a little explanation is needed regarding my post at 10:12 PM. You were offended at 10:11 PM by something I didn't post until 10:12 PM. I don't even know how that is possible. There must be some glitch.
I started my 'rocked' post and was interrupted before I could complete it. I then returned to complete it and did not see your post above mine. Obviously you were upset. Again, the last thing I would want to do is upset you or disrespect your son. I submitted my post without seeing yours.
You are right about this: considering the troubled times we are in I do care more about what is happening in the political arena than I do on the baseball diamond. Politics, unfortunately, trumps baseball in my life right now. Let me explain.
Starting when I was eighteen years old I have been employed in jobs directly and indirectly dependent on new housing. This is nearly four decades mind you. Unfortunately that sector of our economy hasn't even been able to come up for air since 2006. And analysts are predicting that it is going to plunge even deeper. During my career it was battered in the early eighties and again in the early nineties and each time it was down for only a few years and then bounced back strongly. But it is getting battered beyond recognition this time around. I haven't read an encouraging headline for over five years now.
Am I frustrated? Some. Please understand that my dreams, and that includes the dreams I had for all four of my ball playing children have been somewhat scuttled. But we're doing as well as we can. We're learning some valuable 'life lessons'. It hurts to be in a position of not being able to help. Some opportunities in baseball and softball have been missed when, everything being equal, my children have lost out because I did not have the money to 'swing the deal' while other families could. We're not bitter or jealous. We continue to learn valuable 'life lessons' like that one. Life is not always fair. And that's a good one to learn early on.
My children all babysit every chance they can. Some nights they make more than I do. They know not to ask me for money like they used to. My older son is coming home from college soon. He's through playing in college now so he'll be able to teach baseball and babysit. My other son has had to take a job at a health club working in the laundry. His college plans have been slowed down considerably. He isn't complaining. He's grateful to be working and learning what it is like to start at the bottom. This experience will serve him well as he continues to mature.
My wife, God bless her, works every chance she gets as a substitute teacher at minimal pay and no benefits. Then she babysits every weekday for another couple of hours. She never turns down an opportunity to babysit. She's good, very good. In addition to all of that she takes on work doing calligraphy writing on wedding invitations and such. Somehow she manages to hold down the fort at home. I don't know how she does it. We are both college graduates. She worked for a Fortune 500 company for over 20 years before she was let go, through no fault of her own. But she sure is putting all of her skills to best use now. My family really appreciates that. By the way dear...Happy Mother's Day!
I have had to abandon the industry that has surrounded me for literally my entire life. The hospital room where I was born was within a Frank Thomas smack of a Douglas-fir veneer mill. Have you ever smelled fresh milled Douglas-fir? Absolutely heavenly...like a fresh cut Christmas tree a thousand times over! It wasn't an easy decision to walk away, but it was a necessary one. I enrolled in classes at a local nursing home to learn the skills needed to be a Certified Nurse Assistant. After twelve weeks of Wednesday theory classes and twelve Friday night clinical sessions I earned my CNA certificate. On the medical field pecking order ladder I am just above housekeeping. A bit unusual for a guy raised in the Christian Science faith.
I am now employed as my mother-in-law's caregiver. I earn enough to keep the Sheriff knocking on the neighbor's door, not ours. I did see a Sheriff's Deputy, wearing a civilian suit, last fall parked in front of our neighbor's house. He was serving papers on a bright Saturday morning. Fortunately he was just doing some paperwork. He pulled away from the curb and disappeared down the street. Whew!
This job has me working 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. I'm 'on call' all of the time. I'm able to run errands and such only when my mother-in-law is asleep. I see my children for an hour or so most nights when they come over for dinner. I rarely get out to watch my daughters play softball. They're both on their varsity team and I'm missing it. I was able to attend less than a handful of my son's college games. Now it's over. Maybe I'll have more opportunities with my daughters. Through their hard work in the classroom and on the field I'm confident they both will be playing in college.
I used to be self employed and always had alot of flexibility and freedom. That is gone. This lifestyle has required a big adjustment. I am really cloistered now. It sounds weird, but this website is now one of my few lifelines to the outside world. I do have time to get on here frequently, but like tonight I get interrupted. I don't want to use it to pick fights 2Bmom, but rather to enrich myself and others. Some playful 'back and forth' and lighthearted banter with fellow HSBBW members, be they liberal, conservative, or in between, I find to be very enriching and rewarding. And stress relieving too!
I know, I know. Too much information. But that is who I am. Warts and all. For the time being this is my world. I always try to stay positive. I don't know any other way. May we remain HSBBW friends 2Bmom?
For one thing I am thankful for...I've always gotten along well with my mother-in-law. I still do. I want to get along with you too!
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