For the last few weeks, I've been struggling with my job. For reasons beyond my control, I am in the position of working as a temporary employee for the time being. It's been fairly educational to me in a lot of ways, not in the least is in how I deal with my work environment.
I have worked in a myriad of positions in my lifetime. In fact, it's somewhat frightening to think about all of the different types of work that I've done since I started working at the age of 14. Now, at 42, I count among my "careers" stints as a clown, phone operator, waitress, ambulance dispatcher, toffee maker, fast food server, receptionist, and many, many other fun and exciting jobs. Is it any wonder that I'm still in the "barely above minimum wage" range? I change career paths more often than my teenagers do their sheets.
Oh, back to my point. For the last eight months I have been working for an insurance company in a temporary capacity. I was offered full-time employment but was unable to take it due to family considerations. (We may be moving out of the area soon, and I felt it was bad form to take the job and then run six months later.) I love the company, and in general feel as though the management is very good at what they do. Were we to stay, I would definitely consider staying with this company. So why have I been struggling lately?
The truth is, I haven't felt necessary. The jobs that I've been doing have been benign and mostly meaningless. I've sorted, stuffed, and sent out mail. I've logged returned mail into a spread sheet. The majority of my time was spent in doing all of the things that need to be done... at some point. It was demoralizing. At no time did I feel as though my being at the office really mattered to anyone. Should I take an hour, a day, or a week off, I doubted that anyone would notice. In fact, I often wondered why my boss continued to carry my temp contract since most of what I did mattered so little.
Then, this week my boss began to train me to help some of her more over-burdened employees. The job I was tasked with was actually very important, not only to my over-worked counter-parts, but to the members who hired us to insure them as well. If the work didn't get done in a timely fashion, the members would find themselves uninsured for an ungodly amount of time, especially for these particular members: those who were uninsurable. Because of the current health care act, these members could now buy insurance despite their pre-existing conditions, and at a very reasonable premium. Their medications would be covered, medical supplies, and any necessary tests, some for the first time in years. So it was essential that the paperwork be done as quickly as possible. Suddenly, it mattered again if I were actually at my desk on any given day. And the moment that I realized this, I realized just how important that is to me.
At one point in my previous position, I bought a lottery ticket with the potential to win $155m. Like everyone else, I thought about what I would do if I won even a portion of that amount, and I decided that even if I won, I wouldn't be able to quit my job immediately. Not only did I enjoy the work that I did, but I felt like I couldn't just walk out and leave everyone holding the bag. I couldn't walk out and leave my co-workers and bosses struggling to take up the slack without some warning. Nor could I just walk out and leave potentially thousands of people wondering why their policies weren't effective when they thought they would be. What I did mattered to all of those people, and getting up and walking out without notice wasn't an option for me no matter how much money I may have won.
Bosses wonder what it takes to keep butts in seats (to put it somewhat crudely). How do they maintain their employees, and keep them from abusing time off? The simple answer is to make sure that their employees feel like a necessary part of what makes the company run. I'm not paid much - certainly not enough to run a household of six - and sure, that's a factor to me. We all need to eat. That being said, what matters more to me is to knowing that what I do matters to someone somewhere. If I'm gone, someone would notice.
Would the company fold without me? No, and that's not what I mean. What I mean is that at the end of the day, I can feel as though I've accomplished something, I've done some good. It may not be saving a life or figuring out the next great software, but someone benefited from what I did, and that feels damn good at the end of the day.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Monday, April 16, 2012
Taxing the Wealthy vs. a Business Tax Cut
I've been trying to keep up on the whole Buffett Rule argument, but I admit that there's a part of me that has kind of given up. Both the Republican and Democratic parties decided long ago that what's best for the country isn't nearly as important as thumbing their noses at their opponents. Anyone who claims otherwise just isn't paying attention. Worse yet, there's nowhere to get an unbiased view on how this tax will really affect the economy. The media is no less one-sided than Congress.
It seems to me that the Democrats have a point. It really is ridiculous that those making money entirely through investments don't pay very much in taxes. I understand that the hope is that millionaires will invest that money back into the economy, helping everyone. The problem with that is that it hasn't worked like that. Since the time of Reagan, the idea of a "trickle down" economy hasn't done much to help the middle or lower classes. Instead, by all reports, the gap between the wealthy and the average has grown to ridiculous proportions.
Of course, the Republicans have a point, too. To counter the Buffett Rule, Republicans have presented their own plan to help the economy. They want to give businesses a massive tax cut in order to stimulate them into a hiring frenzy. They make the point that so long as businesses are worried about having to pay hefty taxes for every employee they hire, they just won't hire. That's sure as hell not going to benefit anyone, but most especially the unemployed masses. It appears to me that the Republicans are just as right as the Democrats.
Now, it seems like the smart thing to do is a combination of both the Buffett Rule and the Business Tax Cut. They can balance one another out, plus encourage economic growth. Right? I mean, I'm no expert, and there could be some huge holes in this plan, but it doesn't matter. This could be the most brilliant economic plan ever, and it would never happen. Because in order for the Tax the Rich/Cut Business Taxes plan to work, the Democrats and the Republicans would have to *gasp* work toward something other than bringing the other party down. And that's what frustrates me!
I don't trust a single member of the House or the Sentate to do what's right. They are so caught up in what's right for their party that what's right for the country doesn't even enter into it. And the longer this goes on, the more I find myself dead set against our two-party system. We need more options, more strong options, beyond the two we are currently stuck with. The only way that's going to happen is for our current government to stop officially supporting just the Democrats and the Republicans. No more $1 donations on our tax forms for just one or the other. The Electoral College should be revamped completely, and there should be better financial controls over election parties. And we, as a people, need to make the time to read up on candidates beyond The Big Two.
It should no longer be a throw-away vote if one opts for the Green Party or Libertarian Party. Being an independent shouldn't mean we're prime meat for the Republicans or the Democrats. It should mean that we're looking for the best candidate regardless of which party he or she belongs to.
So my challenge to you is to really take a look at who is out there to vote for. Don't take the easy route of voting for the party just because it's always who you vote for. Know what each candidate - from ALL of the parties - stands for, and vote on the issues rather than brand recognition. And for heaven's sake, don't get all of your news from one or two sources. Look around! Find different perspectives. Take the time to educate yourself before you punch that card in November, because when it comes down to it, it's our fault when it all goes left, and quite frankly, I'm tired of the mess we've managed to create for ourselves.
It seems to me that the Democrats have a point. It really is ridiculous that those making money entirely through investments don't pay very much in taxes. I understand that the hope is that millionaires will invest that money back into the economy, helping everyone. The problem with that is that it hasn't worked like that. Since the time of Reagan, the idea of a "trickle down" economy hasn't done much to help the middle or lower classes. Instead, by all reports, the gap between the wealthy and the average has grown to ridiculous proportions.
Of course, the Republicans have a point, too. To counter the Buffett Rule, Republicans have presented their own plan to help the economy. They want to give businesses a massive tax cut in order to stimulate them into a hiring frenzy. They make the point that so long as businesses are worried about having to pay hefty taxes for every employee they hire, they just won't hire. That's sure as hell not going to benefit anyone, but most especially the unemployed masses. It appears to me that the Republicans are just as right as the Democrats.
Now, it seems like the smart thing to do is a combination of both the Buffett Rule and the Business Tax Cut. They can balance one another out, plus encourage economic growth. Right? I mean, I'm no expert, and there could be some huge holes in this plan, but it doesn't matter. This could be the most brilliant economic plan ever, and it would never happen. Because in order for the Tax the Rich/Cut Business Taxes plan to work, the Democrats and the Republicans would have to *gasp* work toward something other than bringing the other party down. And that's what frustrates me!
I don't trust a single member of the House or the Sentate to do what's right. They are so caught up in what's right for their party that what's right for the country doesn't even enter into it. And the longer this goes on, the more I find myself dead set against our two-party system. We need more options, more strong options, beyond the two we are currently stuck with. The only way that's going to happen is for our current government to stop officially supporting just the Democrats and the Republicans. No more $1 donations on our tax forms for just one or the other. The Electoral College should be revamped completely, and there should be better financial controls over election parties. And we, as a people, need to make the time to read up on candidates beyond The Big Two.
It should no longer be a throw-away vote if one opts for the Green Party or Libertarian Party. Being an independent shouldn't mean we're prime meat for the Republicans or the Democrats. It should mean that we're looking for the best candidate regardless of which party he or she belongs to.
So my challenge to you is to really take a look at who is out there to vote for. Don't take the easy route of voting for the party just because it's always who you vote for. Know what each candidate - from ALL of the parties - stands for, and vote on the issues rather than brand recognition. And for heaven's sake, don't get all of your news from one or two sources. Look around! Find different perspectives. Take the time to educate yourself before you punch that card in November, because when it comes down to it, it's our fault when it all goes left, and quite frankly, I'm tired of the mess we've managed to create for ourselves.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Ann Romney and SaHMs
I've been following the flack about Hilary Rosen's comments regarding Ann Romney, and have been pretty disappointed. I agree that Ms. Rosen's comments were poorly thought out, but the sentiment was on target.
As a former Stay-at-Home-Mom (SaHM), I was originally pretty irritated with Rosen. For eight years, I struggled with raising my three sons and one daughter while maintaining the house, taking care of the bills, and in general, keeping life moving for our young family. It was hard, unending work that never gave me a day off. There were few breaks, no lunch hours, and the overtime was a killer. On top of that, I had to deal with career moms saying things like, "You sure have it easy being at home." I do what?? Obviously, these women didn't have a clue, Hilary Rosen included.
Then, something occurred to me: my husband didn't have $250,000,000 to fall back on if things got rough. I couldn't hire a sitter to take a day off; we were on a tight budget since I wasn't working. If it had been a particularly tough day, there was no ordering pizza for dinner. Again, we just couldn't afford it. And no one was going to come in on a part-time basis to do my laundry, dust my shelves, or sweep my floors. It was all me, all of the time. On top of that, our family of six were crammed into a tiny, two-bedroom townhouse with very little room to put any of us, much less our stuff. Keeping things organized and clean was a huge challenge every day.
My experiences as a SaHM do not equate to Ms. Romney's in any way, whether they hired nannies, cooks, or housekeepers on a regular basis or not. She has options not available to the typical one-income family; options that can make or break a mother's mental ability to get through the freaking week. Believe me, I know. I nearly lost it multiple times when I was at home because it was hard work. Really, really hard work.
Then, 10 years ago, I divorced my husband and became a working mom. Wow. Yes, staying at home to take care of the kids was hard work. Really hard work. Being a working mom makes that seem a bit like a vacation. At least for me, that's how it seemed, and still does. Because all of that work that I was able to string out over the course of a full day, every day, I now have to cram into the few hours I have at the end of an already full day at the office. Nothing has changed for me at home except the time that I have to get all of it taken care of. Sure, I get two 15-minute breaks and a 30-minute lunch now, but I also have a 40-minute commute one-way, and am busy from the minute I step foot in the office until the minute I leave it. Then I get to go home and start in on my second job.
The benefit is that now I have a little bit of extra money for those niceties that we lacked when I was home. My new husband is a student, so we're still a single-income family, but money isn't quite as tight as before. We can occasionally have a meal out. The kids are older, so sitters aren't necessary, and they do - rarely - help out with the household chores. Nonetheless, the majority of the household tasks haven't changed despite the fact that I am no longer home to do them every day.
Do I think that SaHMs work hard? Yes, yes I do. Do I think that working moms work harder? Yes, yes I do. I don't particularly care for the way that Ms. Rosen voiced her opinion, but I do agree with the sentiment.
Ms. Romney, even as a working SaHM, isn't in a position to advise her husband on what average women are looking for in the economy because she just doesn't live in the same economy most of the rest of us do. She hasn't felt the pinch of an increase in the cost of groceries, and how that changes what ends up on the table. She hasn't made her own laundry soap to save $10 a month so that the kids can go out with their friends every once in a while. For all the respect that I give Ms. Romney for not hiring a couple of nannies and a cook while she stayed home, I can't put her in the same league as the strapped, single-income SaHMs that I know.
Mr. Romney, if you really want to know what we want, ask us. Open a dialog without hiding behind your wife. Take your tie off, put on a pair of sneakers, and meet us in the kitchen for a cup of coffee. We'll be happy to tell you what worries us about our homes, our kids, and our lives. All you have to do is ask.
As a former Stay-at-Home-Mom (SaHM), I was originally pretty irritated with Rosen. For eight years, I struggled with raising my three sons and one daughter while maintaining the house, taking care of the bills, and in general, keeping life moving for our young family. It was hard, unending work that never gave me a day off. There were few breaks, no lunch hours, and the overtime was a killer. On top of that, I had to deal with career moms saying things like, "You sure have it easy being at home." I do what?? Obviously, these women didn't have a clue, Hilary Rosen included.
Then, something occurred to me: my husband didn't have $250,000,000 to fall back on if things got rough. I couldn't hire a sitter to take a day off; we were on a tight budget since I wasn't working. If it had been a particularly tough day, there was no ordering pizza for dinner. Again, we just couldn't afford it. And no one was going to come in on a part-time basis to do my laundry, dust my shelves, or sweep my floors. It was all me, all of the time. On top of that, our family of six were crammed into a tiny, two-bedroom townhouse with very little room to put any of us, much less our stuff. Keeping things organized and clean was a huge challenge every day.
My experiences as a SaHM do not equate to Ms. Romney's in any way, whether they hired nannies, cooks, or housekeepers on a regular basis or not. She has options not available to the typical one-income family; options that can make or break a mother's mental ability to get through the freaking week. Believe me, I know. I nearly lost it multiple times when I was at home because it was hard work. Really, really hard work.
Then, 10 years ago, I divorced my husband and became a working mom. Wow. Yes, staying at home to take care of the kids was hard work. Really hard work. Being a working mom makes that seem a bit like a vacation. At least for me, that's how it seemed, and still does. Because all of that work that I was able to string out over the course of a full day, every day, I now have to cram into the few hours I have at the end of an already full day at the office. Nothing has changed for me at home except the time that I have to get all of it taken care of. Sure, I get two 15-minute breaks and a 30-minute lunch now, but I also have a 40-minute commute one-way, and am busy from the minute I step foot in the office until the minute I leave it. Then I get to go home and start in on my second job.
The benefit is that now I have a little bit of extra money for those niceties that we lacked when I was home. My new husband is a student, so we're still a single-income family, but money isn't quite as tight as before. We can occasionally have a meal out. The kids are older, so sitters aren't necessary, and they do - rarely - help out with the household chores. Nonetheless, the majority of the household tasks haven't changed despite the fact that I am no longer home to do them every day.
Do I think that SaHMs work hard? Yes, yes I do. Do I think that working moms work harder? Yes, yes I do. I don't particularly care for the way that Ms. Rosen voiced her opinion, but I do agree with the sentiment.
Ms. Romney, even as a working SaHM, isn't in a position to advise her husband on what average women are looking for in the economy because she just doesn't live in the same economy most of the rest of us do. She hasn't felt the pinch of an increase in the cost of groceries, and how that changes what ends up on the table. She hasn't made her own laundry soap to save $10 a month so that the kids can go out with their friends every once in a while. For all the respect that I give Ms. Romney for not hiring a couple of nannies and a cook while she stayed home, I can't put her in the same league as the strapped, single-income SaHMs that I know.
Mr. Romney, if you really want to know what we want, ask us. Open a dialog without hiding behind your wife. Take your tie off, put on a pair of sneakers, and meet us in the kitchen for a cup of coffee. We'll be happy to tell you what worries us about our homes, our kids, and our lives. All you have to do is ask.
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Well-Meant Intentions
Before I went to bed last night, I looked around my house and cringed. It had been several days since I'd even bothered to pick up, much less do any real cleaning. Dishes were stacked on the counter ready for a good bath, the floor was cluttered with random items strewn about by not-so-young children, and my stacks of craft supplies were overflowing the various places I had set them. I knew, before I ever lay my head to rest, that I was going to have to clean today.
Today is Saturday. I do not have to go to work, and other than to attend an event this evening for my son's State Competition in Science Olympiad, I had no reason not to clean. None other than the complete and utter ennui that enveloped me the moment I woke up.
I thought to cuddle back down into my bed, but I knew that I had things to do, and this pulled me creaking and snapping into a damp, gray world. Oh, I don't mean that in the ugly, horrible way. No, this damp, gray world sparkled with endless crystals, and it smelled of a freshness that no artificial atomizer can create. The air was crisp enough to warrant a sweater. Beautiful purple, blue, and pink flowers drank in the sweet droplets, splashes of color in an otherwise dreary picture. Enough to give the day beauty but not so much to lift the desire to lapse into a state of near unconscious.
It's raining that lovely spring-y rain that I love. It patters on the roof and sidewalks; cars whoosh through puddles as they rush down my street. This is the kind of rain that makes you - almost involuntarily - settle into a comfortable place to read and relax. It's not intentional. It just... happens. These days are agonizingly sweet to me, and I resented having to ruin it by cleaning. So I didn't.
Instead, I allowed my intentions to fall by the wayside. The dishes still pine for a soapy swim, and my floor still wonders how to shake free of its clutter. Even a disturbing call to my bank didn't shake me from this cocoon of comfort I allowed myself to fall into. In a few hours, I'll be crawling out from under my blanket and getting ready to cheer my son on. Groceries will need to be bought, and yes, the dishes will need to be washed in order to make dinner. But I will have spent a wonderful day doing nothing, and I can't say that I'm sorry for it. So much of my life is taken up by having to do something for someone at some time, that when I allow myself this kind of luxury - even amid a house of chaos - I revel in it... completely guilt-free.
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