I have been actively participating in a couple of discussions on this topic in a couple of groups, and the most active one is in the 50's group and the discussion usually ends up coming back to one in particular question "What can We do as individuals and concerned citizens do to put brakes on the declining economy?" There have been intelligent responses to it such as Permaculture, renovating older homes to rent out the rooms and much more.

I will repeat this, I am not a highly educated individual nor am I one with a very high I.Q.  I am a mother to two daughters, divorced, in a relationship, and struggling each and every day with how to make ends meet and how to save money each week.  The majority of this nation lives paycheck to paycheck.  We have those that are on Public Assistance, our parents and grandparents are on Social Security and yet our Government still has not come up with a plan that will be successful for all walks of life.  In this financial crunch, I am amazed that I see people who are complaining that they do not have any money to see them through the next week, yet I see them buying scratch offs by the dozens!  I ask myself why do they do this?  It is because they are dreaming that they will get out of debt and live a better life.  I can't knock this.  It is the American dream.  However, our dreams are being shot down temporarily.  We have to do something now to inflate them once again. 
There is a lot of contradiction to the lottery and social security.  The lottery (in New York State) and in most states was created so that the monies that come in from that go to our educational system.  Well, our educational system keeps getting federal cut backs taking out programs from our schools that our children need: Drama, sports, extra learning materials.
Social Security is a pet peeve of mine.  Most of us start work from the age of 16 and continue to work up until we turn 66 more or less.  We contribute to the fund, our fund, so that when we become of age, we have a stipend to live off of.  Yet this is regulated.  We are only to get a percentage of what we put in to live on.  Now we are told that by the year 2014, this fund will be depleted drastically?  Why?  Because our money is being given to those that have just entered our country to begin a new life.  Why doesn't our government have a "bail in" plan to start these folks up with instead of using our hard earned money to support them?  I am sure they can find a way as they did with the banks.
Medical Insurance is another problem.  I am fortunate that I have insurance, yet my insurance is an 80/20 plan.  Recently I had to go to the ER for a eye injury and I brought my insurance card, my driver's license and the chemical that went into my eye with me to the ER.  No check book.  Registration came in and asked if I had the deductible?  I never heard of such a thing! They wanted you to pay for the treatment up front.  Well, I told them to bill me.  I also have a prescription plan through my employer.  I received two perscriptions: eyedrops and pain pills.  My jaw hit the floor when 1/8 of an ounce of eyedrops cost me 59.38 dollars.  Total cost of my meds with insurance...71.00.  I can't even fathom the cost for heart patients, diaylsis patients etc.
In the twenty five years that I lived in upstate NY, I saw one bank go through 10 different names.  When they have done this, the consumer loses out.  Mortgages were screwed up, accounts were missing money and charges were placed on once free checking accounts to having monthly fees of up to 10.00 for balances under 1000.00.  Savings accounts were also penalized  If your balance was below the minimum of 500.00, the banks charged you a monthly fee of 4.00 just to maintain your account!  I ask why do they have a right to take your money just for keeping it in their bank!  The interest that is paid on that money is lower than the fee that is instilled upon it.
We now have a new President who promises change.  I will be up front, I did not vote for him, however, I am willing to give him the chance.  It is a tumultuous situation that he will have to come into and we as a nation must stand by him.  We also must help him along. 
I asked some of my group members for any ideas on how we can try to solve this every growing problem.  I have a very risky and challenging one if anyone is willing.
We need to band together and form and legalize an organization.  Get all paperwork in order.  Get the game plan organized by researching.  Contact each other weekly by a conference call or email.  Next meet in person.  The next step is to get in contact with someone in Washington in the White House. (I am sure that with everyone here, someone has a contact or two.  If not, we can get one.  I am pretty aggressive.  Just ask my daughters).  Then after Inaugaration, set up a meeting with the President.  I know it sounds far fetch, but isn't our state of the economy and our whole existence worth it.  We won't know if it works until we try it.  Persistence is what it is all about. We need team players, vocal ones at that.  '
If anyone is interested even remotely, contact me at ginadenny59@yahoo.com.  I will be working on this as well until I find a solution!
All my love and blessings

1) What gift(s) would you like to give the world?
I guess I would have to agree with my daughter's response in that we should give back to the world, what it has given to us...life, hope, prosperity and the vision to see beyond. 

2) What is the most unusual gift you have received?
The gift of a second chance.  Everyone should be so lucky as to receive a second chance to improve our quality of life.  Mine was literally to move from one situation to one that is proving to be more enlighten and peaceful.  Still things surround but not as it once was.  The eyes have opened up and the chance to begin again has started.

3) What do you like best about gift giving?
Rachel I would love to see those shirts!  Can you email me a picture of them?  Anyways on to the question.  I love to see the look in the eyes and feeling that comes from it.  Giving is the best that anyone could do, especially whilst in line and someone does not have that extra dollar for his / her groceries and you just reach into your pocket because you realize that someone had helped you out once and you need to pay it forward.  The look and the feeling comes across so bountiful.  No words of thanks are necessary.  It's the silence that holds the meaning.

4) What gifts do you want for the holidays?
I love gift cards.  I collect dragons, gargoyles and Fairies and would love to add to my collection.  Also, the Indiana Jones movie and of course, the Fedora that he wears.  Anything to do with crafting, paints, brushes etc and music by Tim McGraw and Toby Keith.  Lastly, Broken Bridges DVD.

             5) When has a gift(s) made you feel warm and fuzzy inside?

It was about 8 years ago when Greg and I started living together.  I was going through a rough spot.  I never put any emphasis on flowers or candy.  To me that was a waste of money.  I was feeling down one day and when Greg came home from work, he somehow knew that I was feeling low, he gave me some roses!  I could not believe it.  The warmth and the love that I felt at that moment was so intense.  You could see it in his eyes.

Wow, easy question.  Better than tests in High School.  As I approach the age of 50 in less then 3 months, I am looking forward to new beginnings as the last fifty years was the first chapter in my life.  I look forward to possibly having some grandchildren, seeing my youngest graduate from high school in year and a half, seeing my oldest daughter get her PHd, and hopefully working for myself.  Living through assassinations, the ending of one war to the start of two wars, economic crisis x 3, terror attacks on our country, loss of jobs, and I think five presidents, is quite a full platter, yet all of it is in my life history.  I can't wait to see what the next few years will bring.  I love surprises.

Reflections of Life

My High School Years

 

It is the summer of 1973 and my years at St. Agnes School has ended. They had a formal moving up ceremony. Mom and I went to one of the bridal salons to pick out a gown for me. I chose a light blue with a lace overlay and long sleeves. It was a nice ceremony. It was a time for reflections back then as well. Things happened that were a little monumental, such as Father Fred becoming sort of an icon at the school. He was young and vibrant, with blue eyes and a bit of a rebel. He had started a folk mass with Sr. Katherine. Every Sunday at the 11:00 mass, we had a lively service. Sadly, that year, he was chosen to go to another parish. Another one of our priests had decided that his "calling" would be better suited as a private citizen. He resigned as a priest and soon him and one of our nuns (she had not taken her final vows), decided to get married. That left Mnsgr. Willenburg to head the parish.

Once I left St. Agnes, it was like an empty place in my heart. I know I would miss Sr. Michael Joseph. She was an ornary woman, but she had a heart of gold. I would always remember her. Some of the girls I met there, were, how should I put it, stuck on themselves. They did believe that they were better than anyone else, except for Kelli. As I mentioned, every school should have had a girl like Kelli.

I had orientation that summer at the High School. My new High School, T. R. Proctor High School was situated in the upper East End of my hometown. It was in walking distance from my house and back in 1973, you walked to school. If it rained or snowed, you still walked to school. As I walked into the front doors of this school, a new world opened up before me. Within minutes I was greeted by a voice over the loudspeaker telling us to report to the auditorium. I really did not know anyone there. Most of the kids I met at St. Agnes were going to private schools, such as St. Francis and Notre Dame. Those schools supposedly had a high reputation for College applications. My parents could not afford a private school, and I did not have a problem with that.

At orientation, we were given a tour of the school. To me the school resembled the city schools of New York City. It was red brick on the exterior and the interior was one of bland white tile and dark hard wood. Desks were just chairs with a table jutted out from them. Classes were large, about 25-30 per class. My graduating class would total approximately 450 students.

I was given a locker, a gym locker and the most important item, my schedule. My classes began at 8:50 in the morning and did not end until 3:00 in the afternoon.

September, 1973 rolled around and I was a both scared and excited for this was the beginning of a new phase in my life. That first day was overwhelming. I had all I could do not to cry and run home to safety. There were so many walks of life there: blacks, whites, hispanics. I was in awe and somewhat afraid. You see, my parents did not expose me or my sister to this environment. We remained within our ethnic group and when we got to High School, it was culture shock.

As the year went on, I made some wonderful friends. They were from all walks of life and I learned so much from them. I had met a girl, her name was Marta and she was of spanish decent. Before I could have her over, I had to ask my parents and let them know of her background. You see, back then, prejudice ran rampant, and where I lived, the other racial groups seemed to live away from us and it would be natural at that time, to cause a "stir". Well, Marta was accepted into our family and she had many meals with us and I with her family. I began though had not sensed it, that my parents were also beginning to grow.

My freshman year seemed to end pretty quickly. I managed to pass all my classes and it was on to my second year of High School.

I was now an upper classman. I felt more at home at the school and during my sophmore year I joined the library club. Yes true to form, I was a true geek back then. I did not enjoy sports, nor did I have the gumption to try out for the debate team. Although when I look back, I should have because I have such out spoken opinions now.

The Library Club met once a week after school in the school's library. Our library looked like a college one. It was two floors, with reference books on the second floor along with the multi media. The floors were divided by a grand spiral staircase and the library walls were all glass. Every nook and crook of the library you were able to see either out into the hallway or look out either at the parking lot or the football field.

This is where I met Beth W. She became my best friend and remained my best friend all through High School. Beth and I were always together. I would leave my house a little earlier in the morning and walk to her house and from there we would walk to school. She was a pretty girl. Beth had blonde hair and blue eyes, nice figure and she was the only child. Her mom was divorced from her dad and she lived with her mom and grandmother. She spent many nights at my house and vice versa. We shared our deepest secrets with each other. We complimented each other in that she was street smart and I was book smart. If we were not together, we were on the phone for hours. Boy, did my mom hate that. I would be on the phone for hours.

Beth was there when I got my license in the last half of my sophmore year. We celebrated by me taking the car out just to go to the drug store.

Getting my license that year proved to be more freedom for me as well as my parents. I was able to look for a job. That also was a high point. When I was sixteen, I possessed the attitude of the time, that I wanted to be "independent" from my parents. I wanted to get a job on my own and not because my parents knew someone. I also felt that I was too old to have a birthday party. That was a decision that I regret to this day.

My father saw me struggling to land a job. He knew that I wanted to earn some money, so he told me about one of his friend's wives. Her name was Nancy and she was the Assistant Manager of a card store at the mall. He made the appointment for me to see her. I met with her and the manager, Marion and another associate, Connie. It was my first interview and I had no idea what to expect, but by the time it was over, I was hired for Cards 'n' Such store. I was to work every Tuesday and Thursday night from 5 p.m until 9 p.m and every other weekend. I worked all the holidays. I would take care of the cash register and the greeting cards when Connie was not there. The mall traffic was always a little slow, but we kept busy. I enjoyed keeping the store neat and clean and the best part was the customers. On my break I would wander the mall, looking into such stores as Howland's, Montgomery Ward, Spencer's, Wilson Leather and of course the Pet Store. Christmas was the best time up at the mall. The decorations were abundant and our store was located in the center court which had a fountain which was replaced by Santa's workshop during the holidays. There were comings and goings every day up until Christmas Eve. I met some new friends there. I would walk up to a store called Pot Pourri which had stuff animals, incense, candles, and in the back and over the counter, yes they hung bongs. That was a big thing back in the day. It was not illegal to sell them, only if you got caught with the product that was not legal.

I found myself changing through this experience. I loved working and I wanted to work more. With this in mind, I decided to take on another job at the mall. It was at a little pretzel stand. On the days that I did not work at the card shop, I would work there. It was run by a woman, who I will call Mrs. D and her daughter Vicki also worked there. I came to find out that Vicki also went to my High School. She was a very beautiful girl, sassy and she had a boyfriend. I was quite astonished. This was my first encounter with anyone who had a relationship with the opposite sex. I tried to emulate her in the way that I dressed and the way that I spoke, however, it did not suit me. Vicki had problems at home. Her brother was using drugs and she had admitted that she had dabbled a bit with marijuana. To me, a sixteen year old, who had a strict upbringing, this was entirely new and different for me.

As my sophmore year came to a close, I found myself working a lot at the mall and trying desperately to find myself. I kept asking myself, who am I and what do I want to do with the rest of my life? What I did know is that I wanted to leave my house after I graduated from high school and move away. Beth and I talked about moving out to Malibu, California. We went so far as to obtain prices on apartments and had newspapers sent to us. We envisioned ourselves in a two bedroom loft on the beach, Beth working as an editor and me as a nurse. Oh the dreams we had back then.

Curious, inquisitive, anxious