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This is a whole can of worms you are asking about.
I'm 40, married, with twins in kindergarten. I've been a stay-at-home mom since they were born. This year, when they started school, I signed up as a substitute teacher's associate - something I had never done before, but the hours fit perfectly with my kids' schedule, obviously. The work, and therefore, pay, is sporadic and measly, but I wasn't ready to dive back into full-time or even part-time work that would wreak havoc on my time with the kids.
Personally, I am very happy being a SAHM, but the price has been high in that we have gone into a lot of debt and are barely keeping our heads above water financially. Given the past seven years and what is going on with the economy and global warming/energy, I am VERY nervous, anxious, and frightened about the future. My husband works in a business that could be very adversely affected by the aforementioned issues - motorcycle/atv/snowmobile sales. We have small retirement accounts and nothing else to fall back on. I probably should have gone back to work full-time a few years ago, but just couldn't bear the idea of putting my kids in full-time daycare - not to mention paying for it. For what the daycare would cost out of the amount I would most likely be able to bring in, it hardly seemed worth it. I definitely feel like our generation is going to be falling through some cracks and are not going to have a lot of the security and promise and opportunities that previous generations have had. I feel a bit like the rug has been pulled out from under us. My husband and I have never had much financially and have always lived pretty much paycheck to paycheck, but I have never felt more insecure and frightened about the future than I do now.
My biggest fears are for my kids. I'm terrified of what global warming, peak oil, our collapsing democracy/economy/social programs, and world unrest will mean for my kids' future. I don't have a lot of faith in the world's leaders, especially our own, not to mention the whole of society to avert the looming disasters. I'm afraid the shit is going to hit the fan and it makes my heart ache for my kids.
I despise the Bush administration for all they have done to this country and the world. It will take MONUMENTAL work, determination, vision, courage and integrity to even begin to right all that they have done. Unfortunately, I don't have faith that either of our two "chosen ones" are anywhere near being up to the task or even seem to "get" it.
So how's that for a gloom and doom outlook?? Depressing, isn't it? Even though I'm very content with what I am doing in my own little world on a daily basis, I am VERY uneasy about our financial situation and down-right FREAKING OUT about the big picture/future.
Sad, but there it is.
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