Reply #21: I Worked McJobs For Over 35 Years

[mntleo2]

...to my regret and I forfeited my children in the process, it is a waste of time. I thought I was teaching my children good work ethics, blah, blah, blah, but here is my oldest son's take on all that I did on the job: He said once when because of work I could not make it to his baseball tournament, "You know something Mom, I could make more in a day on the street than you do in a month for your raggedy old job!" So he learned that Mom could not be there to support him, that he was not as important as a corporation who would use me and throw me away when they no longer needed me, and I would not even make enough to pay the rent so he had a stable place to live, and he is right.

Over the years, I began to understand that real "work" is not always paid work and that perhaps instead of communities focusing on making more paid work, perhaps they also need to focus on and recruit as well as honor unpaid work in the community as well. You know who I am talking about, the (mostly) women raising the next generation, who are often also those same people who attend the community meetings, who bring your Uncle fred a meal because he is her neighbor and too sick to cook, who work on the local food bank board, help with homeless issues through their churches, synagogues and mosques, are leaders for youth organizations and all the other unpaid work that is given. Is this not worthy of considering as important work? Well I can tell you it has been important work to ME, when in spite of working full time I did nto have enough to feed my family, I could not afford the ever climbing rent or I needed a way to GET to work because I had no transportation.

Because of this I am an ardent supporter of Welfare Rights, this is my agenda, because all parents need support to actually BE parents, especially low income moms (and dads) who struggle every day to make ends meet. Because they are the next generation and they will take care of us so these kids need education, good jobs and family time to raise their old age support.

Here is a place that is always looking for support both financially and with people's backing: http://www.wroc.org. Then look to the closest food bank and you will find they are full of people like me.

My 2 cents
Cat In Seattle