Staying at home as a man in this day and age doesn't seem to hold the stigma that it might have in decades past, but it still holds a bit of a stigma in my own mind. Its funny, the contradictions that run through your head as you change the diapers for the third time that day or get the girls into their seats for lunch; I love being here and I love being the one that takes care of everyone, but am I doing the right thing?
I went through four years of college to earn a degree and another two to get a Masters that I am not using and might never get to use because of the economy. I wanted to be an academic librarian but universities and colleges are downsizing. There isn't really anywhere to go right now. My other problem is that I have been a stay-at-home dad now since our son, Nicholas, was born in 2006. Any contacts or references that I had after Library school have essentially gotten stale. So from a professional standpoint I am a no go as far as hiring.
All of the above aside I love being here for the girls during the day. They are a joy from their big smiles and jumping in their cribs in the morning, to the cuddles in the evening when it is time to go to bed. They are so different from their brother it just is amazing to me on an almost daily basis.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
My rant for today...
I, unfortunately, live in the politically blighted state of Florida. The sunshine, saltwater, and beaches do not help the fact that the voters of this state elected a Governor that is willing to allow the less fortunate in this state to suffer and possibly perish because of political ideology that is not even in step with main stream American political sentiment (read: those people who cannot pull themselves out of poverty by their own bootstraps).
The Obama administration and Congress enacted a law in 2010 that changed the way in which healthcare will be provided in the near future. It establishes healthcare for nearly, if not all, of Americans. This great State and its leader have decided that they will ignore federal law. Not accept federal funding for healthcare initiatives and prepare for the full implementation of the law in 2014.
This effectively means that people with preexisting conditions such as cancer and COPD, conditions that require a great deal of care and money, will go virtually untreated. This effects low income and indigent people, not the wealthy members of our society. These individuals will now suffer through untreated cancers and diseases and ultimately die.
I was always under the impression that this country was founded on the principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? I wonder if this came with the unspoken caveat, "But only for those lucky few who could afford it."
I believe there is a God. I believe in the teachings of the Catholic church and I am under the impression that many other Americans have similar beliefs. Christ was a champion of those who could not help themselves. His ministry started with the poor and those who had no real voice in the communities of the day. He taught that the meek will inherit the kingdom of God and that it was easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get to heaven. If the people who voted for Rick Scott and the Republican lead legislature that enables Scott to move forward with his ultraconservative, business friendly agenda, have similar beliefs in Christ and the teachings of the bible, then I wonder why they have forsaken their core beliefs?
It must be ok to let people suffer. It must be morally right to allow men, women and children to die of awful diseases. I have a different view of what is morally right and the principles upon which this country was founded. I may very well be wrong. I may be deluded into believing that all human beings deserve respect and care. But, I truly and sincerely hope that I am right. Protecting the wealth of individuals and business DOES NOT MEAN abrogating our responsibility to defend and protect those who cannot defend and protect themselves.
I wonder if Jesus would feel that Governor Scott was doing the right thing?
The Obama administration and Congress enacted a law in 2010 that changed the way in which healthcare will be provided in the near future. It establishes healthcare for nearly, if not all, of Americans. This great State and its leader have decided that they will ignore federal law. Not accept federal funding for healthcare initiatives and prepare for the full implementation of the law in 2014.
This effectively means that people with preexisting conditions such as cancer and COPD, conditions that require a great deal of care and money, will go virtually untreated. This effects low income and indigent people, not the wealthy members of our society. These individuals will now suffer through untreated cancers and diseases and ultimately die.
I was always under the impression that this country was founded on the principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? I wonder if this came with the unspoken caveat, "But only for those lucky few who could afford it."
I believe there is a God. I believe in the teachings of the Catholic church and I am under the impression that many other Americans have similar beliefs. Christ was a champion of those who could not help themselves. His ministry started with the poor and those who had no real voice in the communities of the day. He taught that the meek will inherit the kingdom of God and that it was easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get to heaven. If the people who voted for Rick Scott and the Republican lead legislature that enables Scott to move forward with his ultraconservative, business friendly agenda, have similar beliefs in Christ and the teachings of the bible, then I wonder why they have forsaken their core beliefs?
It must be ok to let people suffer. It must be morally right to allow men, women and children to die of awful diseases. I have a different view of what is morally right and the principles upon which this country was founded. I may very well be wrong. I may be deluded into believing that all human beings deserve respect and care. But, I truly and sincerely hope that I am right. Protecting the wealth of individuals and business DOES NOT MEAN abrogating our responsibility to defend and protect those who cannot defend and protect themselves.
I wonder if Jesus would feel that Governor Scott was doing the right thing?
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Dealing...
I have an amazing family. My girls are practically brand new and I can't get enough of them. My son is an amazing, curious, and sometimes frustrating five-year-old. My wife works and helps out around the house as much as possible; things are going along pretty good.
But, my father is dying and I don't know how to deal with this. It isn't a problem I can fix. I can't talk through it and I feel frustrated, angry and very, very sorry for myself. My father and I have had some issues over the years, most of which occurred when I was a teenager and a young adult. As I have gotten older he has been a great friend and a person I could count on to give me an objective opinion about the issues I brought to him. He has been there for me and my family when we needed him He is also an intensely private individual and I feel very uncomfortable talking with him about his end of life care.
He has what amounts to COPD. His lungs are very full of scar tissue and do not transfer oxygen to his corpuscles the way they should. He is also a very big man and has had weight problems all of his adult life. All of this causes him to be a very poor candidate for lung transplant surgery. He has no options left as far as a cure and his disease is progressive. He has lately been getting much worse, much faster than I believed he would. This has also taken him by surprise and I believe that he is still in a denial stage of grief.
I can't talk to him about this. I am hoping that my wife will be able to. Angela is an amazing communicator and has the ability to make a problem a teachable moment. She can analyze the root of the issue and use a level head to make her point. I believe that my father, may in fact, listen to her, where he would not listen to me, my sister or his wife.
I want his passing to be as pain free as possible, I want him to have his family around him and to understand that he is appreciated, cherished and loved. I hope that he will not spiral down into a depression that makes his last months or days a miserable battle to hang on in the face of the inevitable.
Americans don't deal very well with death. Our healthcare system keeps people alive that in many cases would never have had a chance. It brings back accident victims and cancer patients from the very brink of death. But, there are some times and some diseases that medicine can do nothing for. I am going to try to deal with this in an intelligent, caring, and rational manner. I have a faith that I can lean on and friends that I know will be there for me. It still feels to soon to be loosing him.
But, my father is dying and I don't know how to deal with this. It isn't a problem I can fix. I can't talk through it and I feel frustrated, angry and very, very sorry for myself. My father and I have had some issues over the years, most of which occurred when I was a teenager and a young adult. As I have gotten older he has been a great friend and a person I could count on to give me an objective opinion about the issues I brought to him. He has been there for me and my family when we needed him He is also an intensely private individual and I feel very uncomfortable talking with him about his end of life care.
He has what amounts to COPD. His lungs are very full of scar tissue and do not transfer oxygen to his corpuscles the way they should. He is also a very big man and has had weight problems all of his adult life. All of this causes him to be a very poor candidate for lung transplant surgery. He has no options left as far as a cure and his disease is progressive. He has lately been getting much worse, much faster than I believed he would. This has also taken him by surprise and I believe that he is still in a denial stage of grief.
I can't talk to him about this. I am hoping that my wife will be able to. Angela is an amazing communicator and has the ability to make a problem a teachable moment. She can analyze the root of the issue and use a level head to make her point. I believe that my father, may in fact, listen to her, where he would not listen to me, my sister or his wife.
I want his passing to be as pain free as possible, I want him to have his family around him and to understand that he is appreciated, cherished and loved. I hope that he will not spiral down into a depression that makes his last months or days a miserable battle to hang on in the face of the inevitable.
Americans don't deal very well with death. Our healthcare system keeps people alive that in many cases would never have had a chance. It brings back accident victims and cancer patients from the very brink of death. But, there are some times and some diseases that medicine can do nothing for. I am going to try to deal with this in an intelligent, caring, and rational manner. I have a faith that I can lean on and friends that I know will be there for me. It still feels to soon to be loosing him.
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