First world problems

Have you noticed a trend toward what I lovingly refer to as "first world problem bashing". No? Well I have. I have seen it a few times on MSN news feeds, facebook, and heard people talking about their silly first world problems.

Yes I often find myself 'judging' those who have no idea how lucky they "have it". We mock ourselves when we complain our internet isn't fast enough, or that we have to drive to the store, or that we don't have the latest i-phone. We call those first world problems. Problems of the privileged. I beg to say those are not true problems. Those are nuances. Not problems.

I want to give problems a name. Yes we live in a privileged society. BUT plenty of problems exist. We are not as spoiled as we are led to believe. Don't agree... open your eyes, drive around.. compare the cost of gas and housing compare with the minimum wage. Then think about it. How many pay checks are you away from homelessness? IF you lost your job now, where would you be?

First world problems don't equal less painful or less real. They just look different.  Yes we in America have it great. And then we don't.  We pride ourselves on "American exceptionalism". Yet we really are not that different. The US stand apart from many nations in the idea that we believe we are some of the greatest promoters of human rights, yet we enable some of the largest human rights violations ever. (did you know the US did not sign the UN bill regarding human rights?? interesting...right?).

If you wonder what rights violations we break consider the following:
Slave labor exists in the united states. Don't believe me? look at privately ran prisons.

Where were your clothes made? Who were they made by? American products are often made in the few countries left that allow child labor. YES you endorse a four and five year old to work long grueling hours... whats that you say.. at least they are making an income... would you be satisfied with working 18 hours and making enough to barely feed yourself for the day??

Human trafficking... its a serious issue. The buying and selling of human beings. Don't want to be sold right? Well why allow others? Did you know Seattle, my beloved city, is the number one spot in the US for the purchase of human beings.

Homelessness and poverty- They exist and are very real. Our country keeps cutting budgets and our vulnerable people are falling through the cracks. These people are our mentally ill, homeless, our vets, our youth, and women. With less and less funding , less jobs, more costly education, expensive housing... our "privileged" country experiences a great deal of underprivileged individuals.

The basic right to health care: We still debate this. Why I do not know. Every human being deserves the right to health care with out the fear that being sick for e few days will cost them more than they could ever make in their entire life. Evey person. 

So if you find yourself saying you have a first world problem. Look around. Find a true first world problem and do something about it.

What you ask. That is up to you. Get creative. But I guarantee you don't need the next i-phone or another mac air computer. Give your extra time you would spend watching your favorite shows up, get out of your "world" and look around your community. There are many real needs. Its your job to do something. Stop waiting on someone else.

Advocacy isn't a disguise

What do you believe in? What do you hope to change?  

I work for a catholic organization. I myself am not a catholic, but I fell in love with the basic principles that my organization and the catholic church abides by.

1. Dignity of the Human Person We recognize the sanctity of human life. People do not lose dignity because of disability, poverty, age, lack of success, or race. This emphasizes people over things, being, over having.

2. Community and the Common Good The human person is both sacred and social. We realize our dignity and rights in relationship with others and in our communities. We are called to respect all of God’s gifts of creation to be good stewards of the each and each other.
3. Rights and Responsibilities People have a fundamental right to life, food, shelter, health care, education and employment. All people have a right to participate in decisions that affect their lives. Corresponding to these rights are duties and responsibilities to respect the rights of others in the wider society and to work for the common good.
4. Option for the Poor The moral test of a society is how it treats its most vulnerable members. The poor have the most urgent moral claim on the conscience of the nation. We are called to look at public policy decisions in terms of how they affect the poor.
5. Dignity of Work People have a right to decent and productive work, fair wages, private property and economic initiative. The economy exists to serve people, not the other way around.
6. Solidarity We are one human family. Our responsibilities to each other cross national, racial, economic and ideological differences. We are called to work globally for justice.
7. Care for God’s Creation The goods of the earth are gifts from God. We have a responsibility to care for these goods as stewards and trustees, not as mere consumers and users.

So again what do you believe?
I want to change a system bigger than myself and I do not even know how or where to start. My warning to you, fellow reader, is that I, am a democrat and a liberal.. so read at your own risk.

This last week I got to go advocate for the things I believe in. I got to speak to district representatives and senators. I went there with others with the hope of being heard. My stance is there needs to be more funding for basic needs. Not simply just education. Do not get me wrong, I believe that funding needs to be placed in education, but what good is an education to a child who sleeps in a car, is hungry, and has no health care. If basic needs are not met (maslows hierarchy of needs) such as safety, shelter, food, than how can self enrichment ever happen. It can't. 

Our system is so broken. So many people (some of them being good friends of mine) believe a lie. They believe individuals take advantage of our system. Its not true. The facts show a good majority of the people who need help genuinely need help. These individuals on average are able to get them selves on there feet -with the help of our system- with in 28 months. Thats really amazing if you ask me. I hear people say that they stay on these programs there whole life.. but its not possible. TANF recipients are only allowed to be on these programs for a maximum of 5 years, and they have to prove that they are attempting to find work. The common thought is that it is "easy" to be in assistance programs. But its truly not. In 2007 there was 300  million dollars set aside to help individuals build affordable housing units and an additional 5 million help at risk and vulnerable populations (chronically homeless and mentally ill) with housing. These numbers have been substantially cut back. There is now only 69 million dollars set aside to help with the cost of housing and no additional funds set aside for those vulnerable populations.  I know 69 million dollars sounds "like a lot" but housing costs, especially in our state, are outrageous. Think of it this way:
 What makes housing affordable? Those working in the housing field generally use the guideline that an individual or family should pay no more than 30% of its income for housing and utilities costs. Using that standard, a minimum wage earner in Snohomish County can afford to pay monthly rent of no more than $445, and someone making the average hourly wage of $14.38 could pay up to $748. However, the average rent charged in the Snohomish county area for a two-bedroom unit is $942 . 
In 2012 the count of homeless individuals identified 2,387 people and 1,410 households as being homeless, with about 800 people under age 18. Those figures were up slightly from 2011, when 2,249 people were counted.
These numbers upset me. They were numbers used when discussing my stand point to the representatives I met. Yet these numbers and facts meant nothing to the individuals I spoke with. In their defense they had their own view points and own areas they felt the budget and available funding needed to go. Even though I greatly disagreed and felt as though they had absolutely no ounce of compassion in their soul... I still know they felt similar to me. They believed in their side, in their issues. 

With this said. How can I ever change their mind. Do I take them by the hand.. have them meet some of my clients who suffer from hunger, homelessness, and to top it off they are in desperate need of health care services.  If they saw these individuals and how hard they worked to change their lives... would their view points change? I would like to hope so. I would like to think at some point I will be able to show these representatives the truth about our society and our societies needs.

Basic needs are failing to be met. So my message to legislation... is that every human being has the right to food, shelter, and health care. Simple as that. No ifs, and whats, buts about it. Every person on our planet deserves these basic rights. 
IF you are interested in my views if you believe like I do, take a stand. GO speak up, write  a letter, and never give up.

Personal Stagnation

Life can be crazy. Nothing truly new for me, but it feels as thought the last two years have been trial after trial. Difficult change transitioning into an even more difficult change.  I really loathe self pity parties. I try to minimize my own struggles by comparing to what others have gone through. I try to motivate myself out of the lulls of sadness by stating... at least I am not a woman from before 1950, or at least I live in America, other people suffer more than I do, other people have it worse. But really what this does is minimize my own struggles. When I do this I am failing to acknowledge the things that I have overcome. When I minimize my suffering I also minimize my own strengths I have developed. 

Often the thing I struggle the most often with is the ultimate feeling of loneliness.  Its really silly in my eyes to let it get to me the way it does, but I feel it, and I cringe and want to run.  This feeling stems from a desire to have love.  It is truly where my life has been stagnant.  I long to "aquire" love. I long for it the way I imagine the desert longs for water, like its a necessity.  I feel as though once it becomes mine, it will "fix' all my other difficulities.  Love is afterall the magical cure all, right?  If when I do find it, I tell myself, I am sure to find financial stablility, friendship, passion, and a helper.  Finding this cure to all that ails me, however, remains illusive. To find lasting companionship is one of the most unattainable an unreachable goals I have ever had.

I wonder why it is that I want "it" so badly. Why am I so discontent to feel alone. It is something I have felt for years. The counselor in me... tries to rationalize my feelings. Saying of course you feel this way look at event XYZ. But even before XYZ I felt it. I remember feeling the longing at a very young age. I know that part of my feelings are normal, as part of the 'human condition'. To long for something more than ourselves, is somewhat the essence of what makes us all tick.  My longing, my desire, is also where I fill up my life in places to avoid.. living. Its so hard. I would rather go for a drive, sleep, read, or watch a movie. All just so I do not have to sit with loneliness.

Why is lonely so unacceptable to me. Why is longing so utterly painful. Its a question I believe can have a hundred reasons but truly the only answer is.. it must be accepted. Nothing lasts. Nothing. All that is ever guaranteed is death. This guarantee has me striving to accept, to be content. I do not know when the end is coming for me. But it is. I do not want to waste whats left of living on being discontent with what I have been given. I have been gifted loneliness. The longing for a mate. Its time I accept my position. Its time to sit with loneliness and be ok with in it.  I just need to figure out how and I need to start now.

I wrote this poem not too long ago, seems fitting:

I see you now


In a sea of faces who feel unknown
  Hidden from humanity,
       I cry alone
Desperate to collide with another being,
Notice the waters rise,
      Theres no use fleeing
Drowning slowly now,
           contentment seems to fit
Unforeseen you appear having nothing to omit

Caught off guard by desire,
    I fail to stay afloat
No intention or any promised note

Seemingly you are all I desire
 So fond of the idea,
       its all I longed to acquire
Loosing interest, you slowly start to float away
Damaged, I see you now,
             stay
The pain I recognize in you makes me alert
    Struggling,
        now I begin to hurt
Floating to surface now, gasping
I watch you go,
    my longing fading, collapsing
Alone again in this sea of faces
Waiting for  one to fill these spaces