Follow Your Gut

I consider myself to be an honest, loyal person. I don't have a deceitful bone in my body. I do have trust issues that stem back to childhood that I'm still working on, so when I meet new people I do have my guard up, but those who earn my trust are generally good people. Those who don't earn my trust, the guard goes up. I just can't bring myself to waste precious time to let them gain it when I feel trust should be automatic with someone with good intentions. A friend recently gave me some advice. She told me I should hear someone out that I was feeling leery about, and then watch their actions afterwards, so I did. I liked what I heard, but after their words reassured me that this person had good intentions I admittedly let my guard down. Weeks went by and I started to notice their actions were not in tune with their words.

I rarely have a gut reaction to day to day decisions. I mostly get a gut reaction when it comes to people, and this was physically making me uneasy. I basically think if someone wants to be a part of your life, they will make an effort to do so. No excuses, you prioritize someone that is important to you. I just feel as though it will never get to a serious relationship if you are constantly having to get reacquainted. Maybe this is what this person wants, something casual until they find something better, and I don't want to be someones option. I also don't want to be one of those insecure people that constantly needs to be reassured that they are wanted. This pretty much goes for friendships too. Follow your gut, it's trying to tell you something,

A living wage

I recently was told I was getting a living wage pay raise of 2%. I think that's equivalent to 25 cents. Don't worry, I won't spend it all in one place. I get the whole argument that not all jobs are meant to live off of, and that getting an education is important, but that doesn't come cheap. Most of the people that make this argument didn't necessarily need degrees to enter their decent paying jobs like my father and grandfather did. My ex-husband is another example of someone who started at the bottom and worked his way up the ladder to make what most kids today need an engineering degree for. So is it fair to say that people don't deserve a wage they can actually live off of? Do we even have jobs you can work your way up the ladder without having to go thousands of dollars into debt?

 I work a very physical job, one that is very intricate. One that is very important to the health of the hospitals patients I work for, but yet we are the least payed out of all the hospital workers including cafeteria workers. I've looked at living pay wage scales, and depending on the state and county you live in, a single adult should be able to live off of $21,000 per year before taxes. Could you live off of $21,000 annually before taxes? Should we be calling these people lazy if they can't? What if you put one child into the factor? The pay scale says $46,000 annually before taxes for one adult and one child. Well, lucky for me I've never had to raise a child by myself, but I'm sure it takes more than $46,000 annually to do so, and I know single mothers that make well under that.                                                                           

 I don't have all the answers, but I do have a lot of questions. What is going to happen to future generations of kids who have degrees that there are no jobs for as they accumulate debt? Now that the retirement age has gone up what jobs will retirees live off of when they can no longer do their jobs? Don't we want people to get off of welfare, and pay their own way? Why in 1978 was someone able to work a summer full time job for minimum wage, and afford a years college tuition? Is taxation theft? And last, but not least, will I ever get married again? What does that have to do with a living wage? Nothing, I guess, but wouldn't you like to know?

 

Woman vs Woman

Why do some woman bash other woman?  Do they feel they are in competition, and if so, for what? Men, jobs, social status, or material things?  These woman are just down right mean and insecure. These woman work tirelessly to create a false version of themselves based on someone else's dreams, plans and goals. I will say I may not like all woman, but I have never tried to compete with one. Except that one time in 8th grade when my friend Jenny and I competed for the attention of the same boy, but neither one of us got him so that really wasn't worth it for either one of us in the end. Now that I'm a grown woman I usually get my heart broken in silence instead of trying to compete, as I watch them sail off into the sunset together. That has only happened once since my divorce, and Johnny Depp and his child bride are already calling it quits. Touche!

I tend to get along better with woman that are closer to my mom's age, and woman young enough to be my daughters age. Woman that are older than me like how I listen to them, and look up to them for advise. Younger woman, I think, like me because I compliment them and build them up, and never talk down to them. For the most part men can be clumped into a couple of categories, but woman have multiple categories, and depending on the situation you can get very confused by them. I do, and I'm one of them. Woman can be vindictive, back stabbing, jealous, emotional creatures, who would do just about anything to get what they want.

 I know what you are thinking. Men can behave this way too, but in all honesty I haven't encountered as many men that act this way as I do woman. Woman who admire other woman's strength can only do so because they know what is required to develop that strength. These woman haven't the time to compete or the energy to waste on envy because they understand and identify with the challenging nature of success. I didn't write this blog to bash woman. I wrote this blog to unite woman, and to make them see that woman need other woman to succeed. We need to stick together, and stop competing because there is nothing better than the support, love, dedication and friendship of another woman. They can really be a lifeline, confidant, nurturer, and a confidence booster if you meet the right ones. Lets face it, they know where the best shoe deals are too...

                                                                       My Bestie