What’s next? January 28, 2008

Now that we have more people in the house than rooms in which to house them, we’ve been contemplating buying a bigger home. That, of course, would involve a bigger mortgage. And now the whole house hunting thing brought up a declaration from my dear husband that he feels the weight on his shoulders from us being a single income family. This, of course, makes me feel like I SHOULD be working outside the home. Hubby also likes to point out every news article about the nursing shortage and every classified add for nurses. But what he doesn’t realize is how much my working as a nurse would completely change our lives. Sure, I’d be making an excellent salary, putting our income well above six figures, but it also means working twelve hour shifts, nights, weekends, and holidays. And nursing is very demanding physically and emotionally. And I find that keeping this house with four kids a full time job as it is, I can’t imagine working as a nurse in addition to all this! Hubby complains about the chores he does now, I’m sure we’d both be completely burnt out if I went back to work as a nurse.

So why do I feel so GUILTY about not having an income when the arguments against working are so many?

Then comes into play my own feelings about contributing to society, about what I want to be when I grown up. I have this huge part of me that is not happy if I’m not making a difference in the world. I don’t know where it came from, but I can’t stifle it. That’s who I am, I just have to live with it. I’ve tried my best to convince myself that raising four wonderful socially-minded children is a great gift to humanity, but try as I might it still doesn’t feel like enough. I can be very very hard on myself! Writing is great because I can be inspirational and put out a message of hope, but it takes so long to publish a book and the money takes even longer to come. Besides the fact that it’s not taken completely seriously around here so I have to write in rare moments of downtime, unlike going to work 9 to 5.

I would love to be a motivational speaker, or a teacher, or a counsellor, but all those would require that I do some sort of studying, and invest money and time into myself.

I could go back to practising natural medicine, which involves a lot of teaching and counselling, but it also involves finding patients in the small pocket of the population that believes in what you do– that doesn’t think you are a crook and a quack. And the money is not spectacular there, probably not enough to cover daycare as a girlfriend that I studied with is complaining out. Definitely more of a labour of love. And I would have to take a refresher course as I haven’t been keeping up with the newest research and trends. Again, money and time.

So… I’m stuck folding laundry and mashing homemade baby food, feeling like I should have some sort of game plan for when the kids are in school full time, at the very least, if not sooner. What do I do? Do you ever feel that you need to be more than a mom? Am I totally nuts to want to do more, as if I don’t already do so much?

TV’s Heroes January 18, 2008

Where are the Heroes of Television?

I’m a huge advocate for equality between men and women but that doesn’t mean I think we should demean men to make women look better. Yet, the media is saturated with portrayals of dimwitted men dating, or married to, strong women. I’m referring to sitcoms like “According to Jim” and to commercials like the ones for Diet Pepsi where the man photocopies his butt, or wears a jacket from the 80’s. It seems to me that in the age of political correctness we have gone from making fun of the ethnic, of women and of the handicapped to ribbing the White Man, surely he can take one on the jaw for the sake of comedy.

But what are we teaching our kids? That white men are all morons? I don’t want my son growing up to admire men that dumb down to look cool, and I don’t want my girls to date and marry men with no ambition because they think intelligence is for geeks and losers.

And people wonder why women read romance novels; at least they’re guaranteed to contain a strong, intelligent and caring man with goals.

Shopping Anyone? November 20, 2007

Ah the smell of commercialism is in the air… Don’t be mistaken, this is not just another rant about the true meaning of the birth of Christ, nor is it about how we are filling the landfills with wrapping paper and bows. This rant is about the excessive and tangible anxiety level enveloping us all, vibrating to the tune of “Jingles Bells”, making it a season of accumulated debt and shattered wishes.

I guess the general idea of gift giving is an honourable one, and many virtues are involved in the season like generosity, creativity, friendliness and love. And the stores are packed to the rafters with shinny new stuff to purchase and give away. I just wish that more shoppers would remember the other virtues as well: like patience and courtesy as they search for a parking spot, gentleness and kindness when an old lady is taking up the clerk’s time, detachment and thankfulness when one receives a dollar store gift, and moderation and self-discipline at the many Christmas parties and feasts. (I have to work on that one, myself.)

In my naïve little mind, I wish the world would just relax a bit more this season. Do we have to outdo each other? Do we have to put ourselves into debt? Can we not give from our heart with loving-kindness instead of from a wish list with angst and turmoil?

Wishing everyone a virtuous and relaxing shopping experience this year.