Sunday, March 23, 2014

How to move on a budget? A question posed to all my readers.

So being a college graduate and all it is time to move on in life. Find a good job and move out of my parent's house...but how?

I have been looking into moving long distance and it is dang expensive to move....So from me to all of you...how do you do it?

How do you move from one state to another? It just costs so much money...and I don't have so much money...Moving trucks...moving pods...moving trailers...those are great and all but by the time I pay for those I won't have enough dinero left to turn the electricity on in my apartment *nervous laughter*

So please comment or contact me with any tips or tricks you may have picked up on that would be useful...

Thanks :)

Sunday, March 9, 2014

The Man at my Bus Stop

I ride the bus now, surprise surprise...recent college graduate can't afford a car...but hey the bus gets me to work early so its all good...

After work I walk out to my bus stop and sure enough within a few minutes a little old man follows me. He is slightly hunched over, and leans on his cane as he slowly crosses over the damp, muddy, grass. His movements are slow, but he gets where he needs to be. He finally reaches the sidewalk. We make eye contact but are still too far away to speak to each other. He traverses the rest of the distance to the small bench where we wait for our bus. I say "hello" with a smile.

He simply says "God bless," and sits down. I do not know if he speaks much English because he motions to his body as if to say "that was a long walk," but he does not use any words. He simply uses his heavy breathing and arms to express that he is exhausted.

I ask him if it was a long walk. He simply continues his breathing and smiles. I do not think he is fluent in English. We spend the rest of our time together on this bench in silence, watching the cars pass by.

Our bus pulls up, and we board it. The man is slow in his approach of the bus, relying on his cane as he walks towards it. He takes the steps onto the bus slowly, as traffic is forced to move around the bus. Two steps up and he pays the bus driver before taking the last step onto the bus. The man seats himself in the very front of the bus and watches the houses pass by through the windows.

The man only travels a few blocks on the bus. During that time we pass by a Catholic Church. The man is facing the opposite window, but knows the location of the Church. He blesses himself quietly as the bus passes the building.

He gets off at the stop, waiting for the bus to leave before walking away and our time together is over. This man doesn't say much to me, but it is in that short phrase, and the simple action of blessing himself that I find joy and comfort in this man.

This little old man does not know me. He does not know that I am a practicing Catholic. He has no way of knowing this, and yet the only words he said to me were "God bless." Those words, which unfortunately in today's world can be quite controversial are the only words this man chose to say to me. But it was really the amount of respect he showed as we passed the parish I grew up in that got me. He did not make a big giant gesture out of it, he didn't even know anyone was looking. But as we passed that building, which contains Jesus in the form of the Holy Eucharist, he quietly blessed himself. I was blown away.

This man's actions spoke volumes. How much can I learn from this man about how to carry myself in my day to day life? How much does this man touch other people's lives without knowing? How many people are reminded of their faith, or brought back to their faith, because this man quietly blesses himself on a city bus? How can I use this man's bus ride as an example for my own life?

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Retarded

So I went on Facebook today and saw a whole ton of posts from the Special Olympicsthe Huffington Post, and Spread the Word to End the Word. All of the posts were about getting people to stop saying the "R-Word."

I thought well this is good, maybe I will just re-post this by clicking the button right here...boom did my part....

Then I thought...well self you have your own perspective on this so why don't you share it?

Here goes...

I do not have a diagnosis, a disability, a handicap... I was fortunate to be born the way I am....but this does not mean that I think those with a diagnosis, a disability, or a handicap are unfortunate...or dumb, or lame, or less of a person...No not at all.

I am certified as an intervention specialist...I have worked with wonderful children with various diagnoses, and have LOVED working with them! Through working with them I have learned from them. I have learned how much these students are capable of...stop looking at what people can't do and start realizing what they CAN do!

Every time I hear those words - Retards, Retard, Retarded - I cringe

I have come to hate those words...to hate how they are used

The original use of the word was not meant to be harmful, but that is what it has become.

I understand that to you it means nothing...it means dumb or lame...I get that...but to me, and those in my profession, and those who the word "describes" or "labels" it is hurtful.

It has become a harmful word. My students, who I care about deeply, are not dumb. Contrarily they are quite bright...They can learn different things than the rest of us...things that we take for granted every day, things about school buses, things about music, about flowers, about people, about enjoying life. Some of these kids know how to have a better time on any given day than I do...

Look a flower...oh I uh hadn't noticed the beauty of that dandelion

They help me learn things about myself
You're being mean today...Oh oops...check myself

They are great at complimenting you
You look very pretty today Miss ___ *gets me every time*
You should teach at _____ High next year so you can be my teacher *so honored*
You're the best science teacher ever! *oh my gosh my heart can't contain this much joy*

When I notice that someone who does have a disability of some sort has made a life for themselves "in the real world" I get so excited. I am happy for them, and it brings joy to my life. I enjoy seeing their success even though I don't personally know them. They have worked harder than you will ever know to get that job, whatever the job may be...and to keep it...well my goodness they are a superstar!!!

These people, who are negatively affected by the word retard, are some of the hardest working people I know...So I choose not to make retard, retarded, and retards part of my vocabulary. I choose not to use these words, which cause so much pain, lightly. Whether or not you realize it, those words hurt...and I would encourage you not to use them.