That Ol' Poverty Mind

In my recent post as I pondered the predicament of poverty, I mentioned some of the tips we use to survive when in tight times, the way we manage with very little and often do so with a wry sense of resiliency and acceptance. The post was meant to provide some insight into the daily life of people living on a meager fixed income, and to serve as a reminder that entitlements are NOT sucking the lifeblood out of the economy while providing Cadillacs and cable tv for lazy n'er-do-wells who have "no work ethic".
Today I want to look a bit deeper at that apparent lack of motivation that we do see in some people who are living on welfare or other programs. It is a firmly entrenched Poverty Mentality that keeps people stuck in a state of mind and a lifestyle that, to the outsider, looks lazy and unmotivated.
Unmotivated, yes. Lazy, no absolutely not. It takes a lot of energy to budget every penny on a daily basis, to always be on the lookout for any resource to help ensure daily survival, one day at a time.
But "why do people appear so unmotivated?" some might ask. The answer is pretty simple: an absence of Hope. Some people have never known Hope. Some have had it snatched away, broken, or unfulfilled. To break a person's hope is to break their heart and their spirit. One can only endure so much heartbreak before the scars grow thick, constricting and impenetrable.
I have been fortunate to come from a background that allowed hope to survive, maybe a bit battered and bruised, but strong enough to survive and remain resilient. My family was the kind of family that could live the American Dream. Not the delusional one where you build a megacorporation from scratch and live on a Yacht, but the real Dream where you work hard, still have time for family and community and make enough money to live a reasonably comfortable lifestyle.
My own battle with the poverty profile stems from a more personal foundation, a damaged sense of self worth and fear of success. I think the same is true for many of us who, somewhere along the line have fallen off the track and stumbled into territory that we were not well equipped to navigate. Who is prepared for an abusive partner, a drug problem, a immobilizing episode of depression or a sudden loss of career? The injuries we sustain while lost in the wilderness do not heal overnight. As we regain our self worth and our perspective on life and our relation to it (which of course is the first and most vital step) we are still operating in a kind of survival mode, hanging on to what we have with gratitude and relief. At some point, however, we are "fixed" well enough that we begin to look beyond ourselves and into the possibilities to make our place in the world. For most of us it soon becomes evident that in order to do so were going to need some financial stability.
This is where it gets tricky. First of all we're still most likely in need of constant self affirmation that it is indeed okay to be happy and to want more than to just survive. Next there's the actual issue of money. They say it takes money to make money, even if that means having the ability to buy clothes for a job interview or to pay for a class to update some skills. Even in the best of economic times that can be a significant challenge. Nowadays, well I'm sure I don't have to outline the obstacles that seem to be increasing on a daily basis.
It would be easy to use the present flailing economy to fall back into that entrenched hopelessness that is the Poverty Mind, the daughter of the Victim. I believe it vital at this point in time that we all remind ourselves that we don't have to live our lives entrenched in poverty. We deserve better, as individuals and as a society. Maybe this is where the personal gets political and vice verse. I don't claim to have all the answers, or even half the answers, but I do know that on a personal level I'm going to commit myself to throwing off that security blanket of inertia and at least preparing myself for something better. I owe it to myself.
Peace and well being,
Jen
© 2010-2011 Nanakoosa’s Place, authored by Jennifer Hazard

The World is Going Nuts! (and it's about time)

People are going nuts!
I mean this in the most complimentary and respectful terms.

After weeks, months and years of writing letters to government officials, dutifully voting in every election, holding peaceful protests and signing petitions people have realized that the only good to come out of all their action was to gain the attention and combined efforts of like minded peers. The politicians continue to follow the directives of those who hold far more power than they do, the Big Money; and the Big Money or The Man, shall we say (sorry men) continues to feast like a glutton on the obscene wealth that is supplied to them by the politicians as they take it from the hands of people like you and me. This is trickle UP economics, folks. The few politicians who do seem to have a shred of decency rarely make it past the state or local level because, face it, you don't trickle up to Washington by flying on the colorful balloon of humanitarian ideals...and if you do your balloon is filled with hot air and false promises. Or it will be shot and deflated by the b.b. gun that belongs to the gang of bullies that smashed your pumpkin at Halloween and stole your candy. That gang of bullies known as "The Man" or the "Corporate Machine" or the IMF or World Bank or Bilderbergs or whoever it is you believe pulls the strings around here. We are so out of touch with who really controls things that we are reduced to inventing this sort of mythology to explain the incomprehensible. Like our ancient ancestors we deify or demonize the sources of the perplexing events that kill our crops, flood our towns and steal our babies in the night.
The development of and obsession with our collective mythology has kept us all well entertained for quite some time now. Conspiracy theories, hours spent reviewing the Zapruder film, tracing the genealogies of wealthiest families back as far as written history would take us and even involving extra terrestrials have all become some sort of religion with which we soothe ourselves as we search for answers. I think we have all became bored with our stories and tired of arguing over whose pantheon is calling the shots. I think we have finally decided that it really doesn't matter who the boogyman is, only that we are sick and tired of having our money, our rights, our homes and our basic safety stolen away by that thief in the night, that baby snatching goblin, that thirsty Vampire that keeps draining us and draining us until we feel like a bunch of empty shells. We've tried filling ourselves with entertainment, food, drugs, fashion and all the other crap they leave behind to distract us. We have discovered that lifestyle has left us empty, it never satisfies only pacifies. We have changed our diet and turned of American Idol and walked outside...and in that stark unfamiliar light as our eyes began to adjust we saw what was going on. We saw our streets are empty because, depending on where we live the kids aren't safe to play outside or they're off in daycare so both parents (if they're lucky enough to have two) are off working 60 hours a week just to keep the boogeyman at bay. We saw that there seem to be more and more people pushing shopping carts down our alleys collecting the leftover aluminum that contained last nights pacifier so they can walk to the recycling center and get a few bucks. And we probably noticed our car had been towed because we couldn't afford the gas to move it to the other side of the street or to pay the tickets that piled up on the windshield night after night as we were inside slamming down the beer creating income for the guy with the shopping cart. Well at least we made some contribution to society there, right?
Truth is we have made contributions to society our entire lives and society has basically taken the money and run without even an "I'll call you sometime".
We've known for some time that we can't believe in our government, now we realize we can't even believe in the "bad guys" anymore and we have come to realize that neither exists in the way we once dreamed they did. I have come to realize that it really doesn't matter weather the wealth is controlled by aliens or the Illuminati or some ancient family of inbred assholes, what matters is we have to stop wondering and whining and take the bull by the horns. Maybe it's time to take the advice of the unsympathetic, entitlement hating Republicans and "pull ourselves up by our bootstraps", only not quite in the way we've been doing for the past  50 years or so. Those boots were cheap junk, the kind you buy at Walmart and have to replace every 6 months because the straps break off leaving us to fall on our faces. We kept on getting up, wiping our tears and going out for more cheap-ass boots, but if you look around people are choosing different footwear these days. They're choosing something with a bit more substance and durability and they are taking them to the street in great numbers.
I'm encouraging anyone who is reading this to please find a news source that is not controlled by the mythical "Man" and watch what's going on in the UK, Greece, Orlando Florida  U.S. and in all the other places that people are finally putting down the petitions, refusing to go to work and standing up for their rights. And when you do I hope you will consider creating some new boots for yourself.
Here are a few links to get you started (if you haven't already) RT has lots of coverage of the Protests in Greece on Youtube
Peace,
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/england/
http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/
http://www.democracynow.org/
http://www.alternet.org/
http://www.politicususa.com/
http://motherjones.com/
http://rt.com/
© 2010-2011 Nanakoosa’s Place, authored by Jennifer Hazard

We are the Messengers

By now most of us have become aware that conditions in our world are rapidly changing. Not only in politics and economics but in the Earth herself. We have seen an increase in severe weather patterns, earthquakes, and other phenomenon. The events are most likely due to our ongoing abuse and manipulation of the planet and her resources. Politically  there are uprisings around the globe, in response to the abuse and manipulation of human beings as resources. Here in the US there have been rallies, demonstrations, recall efforts and occupations of  government buildings by citizens who demand fair and proper representation.The nation is now more than ever at the mercy of the abusers and manipulators, many who appear to be blind to the needs of the rest of us. Even in the face of public outcry, many of those who wield the power and control appear unfazed by objections to their myopic policies.

Sometimes it feels like it’s all too much to take in. While I follow events closely on a daily basis mostly via non commercial sources like blogs, twitter, independent news sources and the WisEye* legislative coverage I find myself needing, and deserving, an information holiday from time to time. As much as I advocate for an informed community I also realize that keeping track of events is hard work and I encourage others to take occasional breaks as well. As with any other job our productivity is increased when we are given the opportunity to rest, play and manage self care. And like any vacation, sometimes it can be difficult to return to the real world of work. But we do because we know our work is essential, meaningful and necessary.

We do not check in. punch a time clock or report to a supervisor. We do not accrue benefits or bring home a paycheck or gain promotions; we work for a greater goal than money or security we work for the survival of humanity, for Justice and for Freedom. There are two kinds  of freedom, freedom to and freedom from, this is an important distinction. Many are content to say that we here in America are granted certain freedoms based on our constitution and cultural precedent. We must remain aware of the freedom from. Freedom from censorship, freedom from an oppressive government, freedom from invasions of our privacy and civil rights. The Patriot act, heralded by its creators as policy that would provide freedom from the evil forces of other nations is in reality an open door allowing our own government to restrict our own freedoms, both to and from. Now as the hearings addressing whistle blowing, namely Bradley Manning, are beginning we are at a dangerous juncture where all our freedoms of expression are at risk. If it is decided that speaking the truth about wrongdoings and immoral behavior is a form of treason, what is the next step? I know there is a difference between military information and other forms of public information, but I also know that we are headed down a slippery slope on the path to censorship.

If you need more relevant here and now examples I can tell you that two reporters were arrested at the capitol in Madison during the budget hearings this week (see link for story). This is only one of hundreds of similar cases where attempts to document the reality of the injustices that are taking place have been repressed. These people, the documenters, the messengers, are essential to public awareness of the wrongs that are being committed by our government. As writers and bloggers we also take on the role of messengers, keepers of the history, educators and mobilizers. We have an unprecedented access to collect, document and disseminate information and we need to ensure that we maintain the right to do so.

I don’t care what it is that people chose to blog about, any real life story is an important strand in the fabric of humanity; and it is by maintaining a shared consciousness of humanity that we will remain strong, educated and compassionate as we stand together against oppression and tyranny.

*WisEye

Reporters arrested in Madison

© 2010-2011 Nanakoosa’s Place, authored by Jennifer Hazard

Sustainable Living

Hello Everyone!
On Friday I talked a bit about making do with very little, thrift and cooperative community. For many of us this lifestyle may have been developed out of necessity, poverty, addiction, isolation etc. For some of us it is a choice, a conscious decision to refuse to participate in an economy that has become corrupted by greed and disregard for the environment and humankind. And for many of us it's always been a little of both. Many of us who have resisted authority and questioned the status quo have also by default, found ourselves in the former categories. Whatever our history I think that many of us are in a unique position to offer our problem solving and survival skills to help others to adapt to a failing economy, a damaged earth and unnecessary dependence on businesses that do nothing to give back to their employees,their communities and the environment.
Tomorrow I'll be posting some links and ideas for sustainable living; but I'd also like to hear yours!

© 2010-2011 Nanakoosa’s Place, authored by Jennifer Hazard