Some of the Groceries I was Blessed with Being Able to Purchase Tonight!
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
"Some folks are born silver spoon in hand,
Lord don't they help themselves, y'all!
But when the taxman comes to the door
Lord the house looks just like a rummage sale!
It ain't me, it ain't me
I ain't no millionaire's son!"
True of John Fogerty and Me, but not of
Willard "Mitt" Romney!
I had a spiritual experience this evening. I think my oodles of atheist and agnostic friends can relate as well here. I have this spiritual experience every time I am able to lay in a supply of needs, especially food for sustenance by any means, but especially when I am able to ambulate myself to the store, shop selectively for food purchases and make it through the check-out counter and then get to come home and unpack my goods! How wonderful a feeling this is each and every time.
I’ve been thinking a lot about a particular word lately—and to give credit where credit is due, it is Rachel Maddow who has brought it to my mind—and that word is Patrician. Dictionary.com defines it as follows:
[puh-trish-uhn] Show IPA
noun
1. a person of noble or high rank; aristocrat.
2. a person of very good background, education, and refinement.
3. a member of the original senatorial aristocracy in ancient Rome.
4. (under the later Roman and Byzantine empires) a title or dignity conferred by the emperor.
5. a member of a hereditary ruling class in certain medieval German, Swiss, and Italian free cities.
President George H.W. Bush was so out of touch he didn't even know that
UPC Scanners existed!
During the 1992 presidential campaign, we were stuck with a Patrician President in George H.W. Bush (born to a rich Connecticut US Senator, Prescott Bush) who made himself look foolish by being publicly unaware of UPC scanners when he went to a grocer’s convention. This guy, the President, Bush, hadn’t shopped for groceries in forever if ever and it was obvious. Bill Clinton appropriately seized on this as further evidence of how far out of touch Bush was with reality.
While most of us consider a 'gentlemens' bet $5 or $10,
Willard Romney insisted upon a $10,000 bet minimum in a
recent Republican debate!
OMG!
Outa touch, dude!
Willard “Mitt” Romney was born to a rich Governor of Michigan and a Nixon Cabinet member, George Romney. Now, admittedly, Willard can’t help but come across as elitist, given the silver spoon background and education he’s been granted in life. But demeanor is one thing, and attitudes are another. It’s one thing to wear jeans at every appearance in order to appear like a normal guy. It’s one thing to try to present yourself as less than privileged; I think all Presidential pols do this to some extent. But Willard’s attitudes are scary.
John Fogerty and CCR again.
Somehow I don't think Willard's ever produced a pinhead or a nickel
for anybody! Cheapo!
I don’t begrudge Willard having never been hungry or poor (even though lately he's been accusing us 99% 'ers of being JEALOUS of him--lol dude!). But he’s actually said in this campaign that he’s been “unemployed.” Willard does not comprehend that not being on a payroll, but having dividends coming in at the rate of 7 figures a year does NOT constitute ‘unemployed.’ What an insult to the truly unemployed who yearn for income to feed and house themselves and others who may depend upon them! OMG!
Willard believes that Corporations are people too! He absolutely does not comprehend that groupings of people are NOT people and that when a corporation fails financially or legally, those invested in the firm have limited liability. In other words, if Bain Capital ever failed, Willard would still have his stack of cash, his mansions, etc. But when his Bain came down to shut down profitable businesses, his individual victims had no limits to their liabilities and wound up jobless, homeless, without health care OR food!
Willard often talks down to his audiences, saying things like “I don’t pretend to undersand” global economics, and what not, but he does understand more than he lets on and he is a greedy SOB.
Willard has never come close to being hungry. He’s never been homeless. He’s never been poor. And not because he’s earned it, but by accident of birth to George Romney. I’m proud of my blue collar union upbringing!
After grocery shopping I came home to my wonderful public housing
home, not one of Willard's mansions, but I luvit!
And I AM absolutely so grateful for it.
Please help my friends who are outdoors tonight and who may
die due to exposure to the elements, homeless.
:'(
On most days I wear blue jeans because I don’t know if I’ll have to get under my old car and resurrect it once again, and jeans are durable and I don’t mind getting grease on my $10 non-designer pants. Willard wears jeans to posture for the presidency.
Money from the TARP bill has employed hundreds of local contractors and
improved the Senior and Disabled Housing in my home town.
For one reason or another, I’ve spent much of my life within the federal and state definitions of poverty, and this has been far from the worst experience of my life, nor something I’m really obsessively concerned about seeing change in any huge measure. I’ve been hungry. Not in the sense of realizing late in the day that I haven’t had my three squares that day, but HUNGRY. As in not having had access to food for a day, or two or three. Having had no significant caloric intake whatsoever and feeling ill as a consequence.
listed at the very bottom of this sign:
Barack Obama, President.
Thank you Barack!
Over time I learned resources, in part because my own work in human service gave me the education I required to locate and push the proper bureaucratic buttons in order to ensure that my clients wouldn’t go hungry. A harder lesson was acquiring the humility required to push those buttons on my own behalf, and recognizing that I was in need of aid in order to ensure proper nutrition, shelter and health care for myself. Such humility is not something that came easily to me, and I saw many of my own clients and friends who were much more skilled in this regard and continue with vastly more than I to this day! Thank you my precious teachers, indeed! I love all my friends, in poverty or not!
No mansion; unlike those given to Mitt,
but here it is: Home, Sweet Home!
I luvit!
I remember coming from city hall one day in the suburban town of my upbringing, having just gone to get a voucher for medical care I required (this was perhaps the mid-1980s). I walked past an Episcopal Church which housed an ecumenical soup kitchen 5 days per week and of which I was aware, but which I never thought of as something that I required, nor for which I should consider myself a participant. “Participation” was easy, you just go in, sit down and have a delightful hot meal served you by volunteers who will also give you a goody bag should you need one. As I walked past, I thought it over. I did it. I swallowed my pride and walked in to the meeting room at the church. It was about 1:15pm, and they had stopped serving at 1pm. But they didn’t stop serving. They reopened the kitchen, heated up a meal for me and blessed me with loaves of home baked bread and other wonderful non-perishable foods that I was in dire need of at the time (it’s worth noting that I eventually wound up a volunteer at the Beth El soup kitchen and shelter for several years). I will NEVER forget the lessons of the day, which included both physical and spiritual nutrition of huge benefit to me and to all those at St. Peters Church that fine day.
I’ve spent many weeks and months throughout my life as what some sociologists are referring to as a ‘sofa homeless’ person. I was often unable to pay rent, never owned a home, and was unable to maintain my own income with steady employment at all times (though frequently and whenever I could I did). I dreaded the demands of utility providers and the inevitable knock on the door from state Marshalls delivering eviction notices. In the end I would find friends or family who would put me up on their sofa, in their den or spare bedroom until I could once again secure lodging and a roof over my head.
I’ve often not received needed medical care because it was not available to me. But most of my life I’ve been able to provide for myself, have worked, and done good work for many and accomplished much for my clients, my employers and myself despite my disabilities at times.
In 2007 I applied for and was approved as permanently disabled by the Social Security Administration, and have had a degree of security in my life heretofore lacking. I now am also a Medicare beneficiary, have a Medicaid supplement, and am blessed with a wonderful little efficiency apartment in my hometown Senior/Disabled public housing program, funded by federal housing funds, largely.
I’ve been able to think outside the box, and have been working my tail off to think of ways to earn an income without disability, and so far, so good. I’m writing and making some part time money at that. I’m back in school as a graduate student of religion at a Connecticut Seminary, and that provides me with financial advantages and the prospect of future work that will be stable and enhance my writing project.
I came from a family of 8 and my Dad was the sole income earner, a proud Corresponding Secretary and member of the negotiating team of his local of the International Printing Pressman’s Union, an AFL-CIO affiliate. We lived a blue collar life, barely skimming by on a single proud printing pressman’s wages. When I went to work for the Commonwealth of Mass. in the early 1980s I was a proud union steward and consider myself a member for life of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME—I’m withya Wisconsin, let’s recall that guy!), BECAUSE of my Dad’s example.
So, I'm sure inquiring minds are dying to know.
What music did I select tonight?
1)I spoiled myself with a copy of Michael Jackson's original
Thriller album.
No matter what you think of his life or whatever, at this point in his life
he was an extraordinary performer who blurred the black/white divide
in the record industry for good and this album was simply amazing.
Never before had a copy before.
2)A three-disk $12.99 bargain--Foreigner "Can't Slow Down" which includes
one CD of remastered classics, one of new studio stuff, and a live DVD.
3)And last: Guns 'N Roses their Best Of compilation. It rocks!
I am so grateful for my groceries tonight you can’t imagine. Not only was I able to lay in food yet again (I’ve never been denied for 55 years running), I also bought some clothing and even satisfied a want—I treated myself to some music! I don’t think Willard Romney, any of the Bush’s, Newt, Santorum or any of their ilk are grateful for their groceries.
barackobama.com
barackobama.com
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