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To me, this argument is about appreciating what you already have,
and being sensitive to the fact that there are people who live in
this town who think that 78 dollars is a lot of money right now,
it's about a week's worth of groceries for my family of 5. Honestly,
it's really not about the $78 or where it came from. It's about
putting your "wants" aside and appreciating what you have. It's about
learning to live in a different world than the one we have been
living in for the past 15 years or so. Tough times may be coming.
We need to learn how to separate our "wants" from "needs". Next
time you vote for something... ask yourself, Can I still live without
that?
No, teaching is not a "cushy" job... but it's a lot better than
cleaning toilets. Next time you complain about your low pay raise, ask
yourself what it would feel like to be the janitor or the lunch
lady. Where do think the money comes from to give you that raise?
It has to come from somewhere else in the budget. Maybe as a result
of the school district paying your raise, they got a pay cut. Or
in the case of my family they have had to pay more towards their
health insurance to give you that extra perk that you want. All I
ask is that people be more sensitive.
I have seen teachers on this site asking for recognition over the
past few days. That's not very humble. You don't see me on this
board telling people what I have done to help others or where it
came from... and becoming mad because I am not appreciated. I just
do it, without complaining about it or looking for recognition.
When I point out that my husband has had health care cuts at his
job etc., it is not to whine or complain about how crappy his job
is. Not everyone receives affordable health care through their
employment.
AV, I truly appreciate the fact that you chose to serve our country.
My father was a WWII Vet, decorated, three tours of duty. He
wasn't even born in this country. He lived the rest of his life a
disabled vet. He was on a fixed income. Do you know what it is
like to live on a fixed income when the cost of living goes up so
dramatically? I understand that this topic of discussion may seem
trivial to you at this point in your life. Maybe I am making
assumptions on your age that I shouldn't, but it sounds like you
are young. I am sure that I could dig up a retired Vet or too in
Norfolk who are living on fixed incomes for you to speak to. To
them, $78 is not trivial... To them, it is the cost of a prescription
that they may desperately need but dont have the money to purchase.
I too have served my country in a different way...so please don't
make assumptions on how I live or how I should spend my money, or
what I should think is trivial or not. I don't make it a habit to
go around telling people that I worked 2 fulls days per week for
free at the Hanscom AFB Dental clinic during Operation Desert storm
as a civilian, so that the military could staff the clinic and be
able to send more dental personnel overseas to help soldiers. I
don't make it a habit of asking people to appreciate me for donating
my time to help special needs patients receive quality dental care.
I just do it because I want to...No strings attached. All I ask
is that people pause and look at how their actions are effecting
the others around them. It's very easy to say...I want, I want,
I want... without thinking about how it may effect others.
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