There goes my life....

[The Straight Story]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcqQ-wxq3h4

I couldn't help but write this tonight as I sit here thinking about this thing we call life.

My wife and I have been together over 9 years. We kept hoping to have a child, though we did not think we could given her history (cervical cancer and such). We dreamed of a day when we would have a little boy named Noah. I already had three boys from a previous marriage, and a daughter from another relationship. Did not care if we had a son or a daughter, I just wanted my wife to be able to have a baby and see the joy of it all. She wanted a Noah.

We had a Hannah Rose instead.

The wife held her so tight, breast fed her day and night (not at the Olive Garden though...). Slept with her so many nights. And now she is 6 and in school.

We dreamed our little dreams of the future. Then the wife found out those problems she had had for years wasn't the brain cyst they found, but Parkinson's disease - and she was only 35.

Her future has some hope - and a lot of fear. They are making strides in research, but could be making more if it were not for the RW screwing up stem cell research.

Her dreams of being a mom are challenged each day, and will be more so as the years go on. Lack of sleep, fatigue, having her right side cramping up so bad it is like a charlie horse on one whole side of your body all at once. Being so tired at times she spends months in bed. Being so depressed you just want it all to end - and then being on medicine which helps with some things but makes mental issues a hundred times worse.

She is so sick with worry that she cannot be the mom she always wanted to be. I am sick with worry over the money and getting health care. And in it all, we shield our little girl. She is kicking ass in school - but sometimes asks why mommy spends so much time in bed. We just tell her that mommy has a cold. Last week, she got 50 math problems right - out of 50, and was the first to finish the test and the only one to get em all right.

Each day, I see real people here on DU and elsewhere fighting the good fight. Real people, with real issues. And I keep hearing from the RW - do for yourself. Screw national health care, to hell with mental health care - pull yourself up from your boot straps and git-r-done.

Yeah.

I got a GED. I was the best manager in the US for the data centers for the 2nd largest bank. I started as an engineer, and worked my way up. Where did it get me?

I was a cop, and a damned good one at that. I worked in manufacturing for several companies - and I broke records for production at all the companies I worked for. And what did I get for it?? Laid off or fired right before my benefits started.

No matter how much I have worked for others, I keep getting screwed over by employers. Which screws with my wife and daughter's health care. It screws with my ability to pay bills each month. And I hear you say 'Just work hard and you too can make it' - and yet, I have done that my whole life. And yet I sit here without a job or benefits.

When will you admit that the system is broken - not just for me, but for millions of others?

My story is but one of many. When will you step up to the plate for your fellow citizens?

Maybe all you care about is the unborn, and those who are born are nothing to you?

Go ahead and come crying to me when you are where I am - and I will give you rest.

Because I am not like you. I know it ain't all easy, I know shit happens.

When you reach out your hand, I will be there to take it. Maybe it is time you did the same....


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1883387

[xchrom]

1. peace be with you, straight story -- and with your family.

[The Straight Story]

2. Peace be with us all

On the left, we see America as a team. On the right...Hell, I don't know what they see anymore. Damned sad.

[renie408]

6. I have said before

Democrats look around and say, "the world would be a better place if we would just all take care of each other". Republicans look around and say, "the world would be a better place if everybody would just take care of themselves."

[Allyoop]

37. OMC?

Why does this woman look just like the one on OMC's diary?

[HughMoran]

46. Who are you talking to and what are you implying?

???

[stop the bleeding]

3. your family is beautiful

you are blessed in other ways.

[EFerrari]

4. Look at that beautiful face. I wish I had one of those.

:hug:

[The Vinyl Ripper]

5. You won't hear me say..

Just work hard and you can make it.

I've had a fairly similar work experience to yours and I know it's hard out there with employers, often the hardest workers are the least appreciated.

I wish your wife, your daughter and yourself the best of luck.

Peace,

Jon

[NanceGreggs]

7. I wish I knew what to say ...

I wish I could say that you're totally wrong about how our so-called government doesn't care about your family's plight - but you're right.

I wish I could say you're completely wrong about how working hard no longer gets you even a shot at the golden ring of financial security - but you're right.

I wish I could insist on how All Americans, and not just SOME of us, care about what you and your family are going through - but you've got them dead-to-rights, and there's no point in arguing the fact.

More than anything, I wish you weren't SO DAMNED RIGHT about your assessment of how uncaring our so-called leadership, and its supporters, has become.

As always, my best to you and yours ...

[understandinglife]

29. "More than anything, I wish you weren't SO DAMNED RIGHT about your assessment of how uncaring ...

... our so-called leadership, and its supporters, has become.

Best summation, yet.


Peace.

[Mz Pip]

8. Hannah Rose

is beautiful and smart and will be a joy in your life for as long as you live.

Cherish these moments. Her successes, her failures, because, as a parent that is what you will draw on 20 years down the road. That you did right by her. That you were there for her and that you supported her in spite of all the crap that goes on in the world.

Love her unconditionally. Because in the grand scheme of things, that's what matters most.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[wildhorses]

9. no words to add

~:hug:~

[Zebedeo]

10. I pray that God blesses your family with health and happiness

for many years to come.

It is true what you say about working for others. I found that out the hard way, also. The answer for me was starting my own business, which I did in 1999. Working for myself is very rewarding, and there is no one to take advantage of me. I don't know if you are in a position to start your own business, but if you are, I would recommend it.

Best wishes to you and your beautiful family.

[Frustratedlady]

11. What a sweet face and I love the Doxie, too.

My heart goes out to you all and I hope something positive can come to the surface for you.

Even tho this cabal isn't allowing stem cell research, many other countries are hot on the trail of cures for all kinds of diseases. Let's hope they conquer these awful diseases soon.

Good thoughts and prayers going your way for a positive outcome.

[bbgrunt]

12. the american dream is now officially a nightmare for

so many--and it's not their fault. That is the hardest part to deal with. They worked, they strove and struggled and were honorable and worked with integrity. Now they are kicked to the curb with impunity and told that they could make it if they only tried harder--maybe they should try selling on ebay. What a crock. Just know that you are not at fault and that you are not alone.

[Deja Q]

17. And called 'overpaid' if you read any given article from Fortune magazine...

:(

And for all the hard work and integrity, which can be found in any corporation, Motivator poster, or that billboard on the street, it's ignored in favor of offshoring -- to countries where the work ends up mangled or the products come in toxic.

Somehow, expect the most cynical of media outlets find a way to blame America's working class on that too.

[Beausoir]

13. Stating the obvious here, but..those are exceptionally gorgeous girls!

Wow. You are a lucky man.

[bonito]

14. We have each other here

Sooo..... much good, to fill our cups just in printed words no less, that touch our hearts, and at times more comporting than the roofs over our head, take this :grouphug: Peace...

[slowry]

15. ffs move your beautiful family to canada or ANYWHERE

Do you realize there are lots of small cities around here, who would love to have you? We like to call freepers jingoistic, but why not leave America, if it truly has become a shithole? (and it has.) Realize 1) that I'm drunk, but that 2) there is so much hope for you, elsewhere. You are no dummy.

Move somewhere, anywhere, where you and your cherished ones will be more free.

The idea of America lives on, in so many places, but not in America itself.

Take care.

[Deja Q]

16. Isn't it true Canadians are more inclined to give their native born jobs over immigrants?

Unlike the US where our people tend to give jobs to everyone else over Americans...

[renie408]

18. It's harder to immigrate to Canada than you might think. I checked. n/t

[SammyWinstonJack]

24. Unfortunately it isn't that easy. If it were, lots of Americans would be "invading" Canada.

I know I would be.

[Subdivisions]

19. When I joined DU, I never thought

I would come to care so much for so many people whom I do not personally know. I have learned that we all have hardships and we all need each other and that we are not alone because we have each other.

I have been especially touched by your wife's struggles with Parkinsons and your pain over it, The Straight Story. Please know that I wish you and your beautiful wife and daughter all the best.

[wildbilln864]

20. An awesome thread.....

My wife also has PD. For fifteen years now. Carbidopa/Levo, Amantadine. I know what you're going through. It's been just the last couple of years though that she's not been getting around much. Doesn't go anywhere anymore. It's horrible to have to see and not be able to do much about it. Words can't do justice. God bless you and your beautiful family!

[PatSeg]

21. Your story is very touching and sadly it is becoming

more and more common all the time. I encounter people on a regular basis who's lives are on the verge of collapse. Bush would probably call it "uniquely American". Our society is breaking. It may already be broken and it is affecting people on the left and the right.

Lovely photos - thank you for sharing.

[Hydra]

22. I'm there with you

And the RWers just refuse to see the truth- opportunities are being denied to EVERYONE who needs them. They say that you look after your own...but they are the first to whine and beg at their church when things go sour for them.

Our system is broken, but like Tyler Durden said about Martha Stewart: "She's polishing the brass on the Titanic!" The people that say things are fine and would be better with a little work haven't felt the cold wind of this system.

What's insane about having fair wages? Single-payer health care? Housing for everyone? Food and clean water? Reasonable cost clean energy?

Why are we even having these arguments?

[Arugula Latte]

23. That's what I can't understand ...

Why Americans people put up with this? Why do they put up with multi-hundreds-of-billions being flushed down the military sinkhole when they could have such a better standard of living and a life freed from so many of the heaviest burdens that weigh us all down, especially at 4 am when we wake up in fear and anxiety and worry about things most people in the developed "First World" don't have to even think about.

[Hydra]

26. You said it

I heard some RW moron defending Bush's threat to veto the children's healthcare bill, saying that we are running record deficits and that we can't afford a "middle-class entitlement program." When the Dem guest pointed out that we wouldn't be running deficits if they hadn't lied us into war, they shouted her down. Taboo subject, you know.

:puke:

[shaniqua6392]

25. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

Thank you for sharing.

[HughBeaumont]

27. "If you work hard and really want it bad enough, you'll be successful. Guaranteed!"

If that isn't the biggest lie ever foisted on the American people, I don't know what is.

America just doesn't work for the average Joe and Jane anymore.

There really IS two Americas. One for the "have way too fucking muches" and one for the rest of us.

Their laws are better. Their perks are better. Their lending advantages are better. Their toys are better.

Universal Health Care in this country is LONG overdue. Improvement of Corporate America and eliminating it's mental and physical bludgeoning of it's victims is LONG overdue.

And like you, I had goals a long time ago.

That was an idealistic time long ago, before Dumberica elected a president that enacted policies to help the not-in-need-of-help rich and rape the dwindling middle class.

That was before I got fired three times.

That was before the stock market tanked and really never recovered it's volatility.

That was before I spent 12 hours a day commuting to and from and working at my current job.

Oh, and then there's coming home, preparing dinner, making sure my Aspbergers-having kid gets his homework done, clean somewhat, take the dogs out, come on this site . . . after all this, I have to get up and do it all over again.

I don't have time for goddamned GOALS. I'm just trying to make it through the day without going on a shooting rampage.

Goals can't predict the future or the landmines the middle class always seem to have to navigate through.

Prayers and hope to you and your family. Everybody's family, really. Losing hope and slowly accepting life's insurmountability is draining. It's just an awful feeling.

[rucognizant]

38. I just posted a rant

Over at the CLinton for Pres thread. I stated that unlike popular mythology that "new age" foolishness about how we "Make our own luck"......... NO S--t happens...................Given that the neo-cons have been accellerating it, for the last 30 years, it is greatly magnified.
My heart goes out to your family............Hannah Rose is a beautiful little girl.
I hope you'll forgive a little advice from an old wise woman.......( based on my own childhood experience, and years of teaching children not in a formalized setting, ( public school) ........
Share the truth with her. If she is smart enough to get 50 math problems correct, she is smart enough to sense that "Mommy has a cold" isn't the whole story! SHe can see for herself that when other Mommys have a cold d it is different! It is scarey I know...but being alienated from your parents is far scarier! Sharing itshould strengthen your family bonds making future stages ( boys/dating) easier to deal with.
God or Goddess bless.

[racaulk]

28. I don't know what I can say...

I'm just wishing you and your family all the best. :pals:

[understandinglife]

30. Posted this for you at ...

http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2007/9/24/115926/398/?pid=0#c249

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/9/24/115926/398

I hope they read it.

Many of us do care ...


Peace.

[knitter4democracy]

31. You and OMC and Bobbolink and so many of us here are hurting.

No one is safe from economic ruin. Not anymore. I don't care which college you busted your butt to get into, which major you had, which perfect job you got into--we are all teetering on the edge. Food staples and gas are getting more expensive every week, and many are struggling or just plain giving up. Our homeless numbers are off the charts and only going to go up as more lose their homes to predatory lenders.

*sigh* It's about sticking together as a community and taking care of our own, not living in isolated houses "pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps." It's time for another round of Muckrakers and Progressives to start the healing we so badly need as a nation.

[BrklynLib at work]

32. Your story is truly heartbreaking. Your girls are truly beautiful

Sadly, versions of your experiences are becoming all too common in this country. There are so many of us who have struggled, thinking we have done so well...giving our all...only to be tossed out on our butts. We have then had to face the reality of illness and hardship after years of thinking we had worked hard enough to overcome any hurdle.
I hope that your story has a happy ending...
:grouphug:

[Kurovski]

33. K&R.

"do for yourself". And that's exactly what far too many employers are about. Only themselves.

And the health insurance companies that good employers have to deal with also "do for themselves" and their stockholders above all else.

Making ones fortune off of healthcare decisions is a lousy way to make a living. It often forces even good people to make basically immoral decisions about another human being's fate.

National healthcare is a requirement in a civilized, mentally and emotionally healthy society. No wonder we still don't have it, eh?

[colorado_ufo]

34. You are so right!

[Hekate]

35. I think of you often, SS. Your daughter is as beautiful as her mother...

:grouphug:

Hekate

[jebediah]

36. In some ways our situations are similiar...

So, firstly, God bless your family.

I sometimes want to put my fist through someone for the *additional* troubles they add to life's unfairness. You could just grab them by the ears and chew their face. But ruminating on *them* isn't an answer.

If you haven't, spend a couple of hours on the internet reviewing alternative therapies for Parkinson's. I have lung issues and while I'm not curing myself, there is no doubt that I'm improving my life with a growing routine of non-mainstream therapies. And I haven't lost the glimmer of hope of a cure, either miraculous or long-fought and well-earned.

*Don't* take her condition passively. *Don't* expect the doctors to have all the answers, and *don't* accept only their perspective on the issue. *Don't* stay in the negativity for very long... fake your way out of it if you have to. *Do* make a project out of her health... you guys can only benefit. Some of the possibilities are so incredibly cheap you'd feel silly not trying them. These little things may add up to a substantial improvement for all of you.

Oh, and my son is five, very bright. I've found he can't be shielded from the blatantly obvious. But, even so, maybe you can incorporate her into your wife's therapies. I can't hide my condition from my son, but I also don't hide my efforts to fight it from him. He's learning about nutrition, hope, prayer, exercise, and about not taking "shit happens" as the final word on any subject.

I've had a rough patch and things have just sucked lately, so this isn't someone blowing flowers and rainbows out their butt. Really, it's all you can do. At least in these matters you may be able to exercise a little control, maybe get the reward for the work.

God bless your family.

[jsamuel]

39. Thank you for speaking out.

I keeps many of us going to hear from real people like you.

[Kajsa]

40. Bless You, The Straight Story, and the beautiful ladies

in your life.

My prayers go out to you and your family.

You rallied up the DUers for OMC, ( thank you!)
we can rally for you, too!

I wish the best for your wife, for you and that precious daughter
of yours. Your Dachshund is a cutie.

Stay close and hang in there.

:hug:

[Irishonly]

41. Bless you and your family

I will keep you in my heart and prayers. It is my way but if you prefer to think positive thoughts, that's fine.

So many times life doesn't turn out the way we expect it to. There was never any breast cancer in my family until me. I was a teacher and I thought I had many years left. Who knew the chemo would almost kill me twice and is indirectly responsible for the chronic conditions that plague me. I never thought I would use a wheel chair and be bedridden for days at a time. I never thought in a million years my laid back husband would totally snap and be on social security also.

My gut tells me you and your wife are fighters. The neocons have damn near ruined our country and it scares me the MSM will do everything in its power to keep them large and in charge. Yet, you still fight and your wife fights in her own way. There's going to be times she's scared to death and it's ok. The sane people in this world will still fight for stem cell research.

In the meantime we all fight for the people of the world. I have never understood the pull yourself up by the boot straps mentality. What are you supposed to do when those boot straps are three feet over your head.

We are all in this fight together.:grouphug:

[TomInTib]

42. Damn, man...

OMC's post made me cry.

Yours makes me want to go outside and scream.

[lost-in-nj]

43. ....

:hug: :hug: :hug:

for you and those two beautiful women in your life....



lost

[emilyg]

44. My best to you and your lovely family.

[ozymandius]

45. How can I feel such passionate empathy and viceral hatred at the system

at the same time? A system that those who have a vested interest in its broken preservation say is okay? I've always been a bleeding heart liberal. It bleeds twofold for you Sir.

[tavalon]

47. What beautiful people and puppy you have surrounded yourself with

The rest of the stuff about what success is is a lie told to us by corporate America. All that matters are the people and times we make, not the money.

That said, I hear ya. It's bad enough that so many of us are lacking a basic safety net, but then they lie to us about why that net isn't there and how, if we were just better people......la la la fucking la. I hate being lied to.