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Sunday, Nov 8, 2009
karinb
Published Letters: 43 Editor's Choice: 4
"... Why aren't there articles about men who are choosing not to be fathers?"
Because those kind of stories would be completely uninteresting.
I'm 42 and have *never* wanted children. I got odd looks making that statement when I was 12/18/25/35 just as much as when I state this today. Children just don't interest me. There is so much more to enjoy in this world than raising children.
But that kind of article doesn't sell ads in the Post.
I bought a 20 year old townhouse in my early thirties. Everyone thought I was crazy because I was alone (ie, no man), and it was a stretch financially for me at first. I could not afford to do much to the house except basic maintenance for the first 2-3 years. And yes, I was continually doubting myself: maybe everyone else was right and I *was* crazy!!
However, once I settled in, I slowly started fixing things: painting, ripping up carpeting and replacing with tile or laminate, changing out lighting fixtures and all the wall outlets and switches, etc.
This progressed over 6 years. Room by room, I made changes with the help of my parents and then my boyfriend (who came in the picture 3 years after purchase). Eventually he moved in, and we really started doing the heavy renovating (plumbing, cabinetry, etc). It was hard work, and we had to do it piecemeal because we couldn't afford to do everything at once (like those flippin' tv shows!). It was also frustrating living in disarray for all those years. What we didn't have experience with, we researched or asked others for advice.
Then 2004 came with its horrendous hurricane season (I live on the east coast of Florida), and we lost half our roof. It could have been alot worse though: we only had the two other bedrooms damaged, and our bedroom and the whole downstairs was livable. So we continued living in the house for the next 2 years while we hired a contractor to re-renovate what we had just finished doing with the insurance money we got.
Long story short: a contractor and their workers do not care about your house. We had to continually get on their butts to do things right. Luckily we had alot of experience over the years and could spot when they were taking shortcuts. We could have done the work better ourselves, but the insurance regulations penalized any work not done by a contractor by reducing the payment by 20%. So we were stuck.
My point is: yes, a house is an investment not only financially, but emotionally. But it is so satisfying seeing the accomplishment of your labor. If you can hang in there, have realistic expectations about fixing the place by doing it slowly over the years as you can afford it, and then take the time to enjoy your results as they occur, you *will* be rewarded! The home will be truly your own and much much better than any apartment.
Outrageous!! I don't understand when it became acceptable in this country to shirk your duties because of your "personal beliefs". There must be certain protocols and procedures for handling a rape victim, regardless of what other circumstances there are. To not follow these procedures because what *you* believe is not only reprehensible, but should be met with nothing less than dismissal.
Obviously this medical supervisor is more concerned with forcing his/her religious beliefs on others rather than being compassionate toward another human being... the latter, of course, being a true Christian value. What a hypocrite!
This is so over the top, how can anything in this segment be taken seriously?
That is the most hilarious part of this article.
... while they had their big Orlando pow-wow about how the DNC was punishing the Florida Democrats. The local GOP members were all over television spouting how the GOP cares about Florida and would never do this to *them*.
HA!
So now after the Orlando rally/debates are over, the FL Republicans find themselves in the same mess as the Democrats.
Where do you being with this? Unfortunately there are many people out there that think this way. Nevermind that in the new millennium, it would almost impossible for most families to survive on a one-income budget. Logic doesn't apply.
If these "conservatives" truly gave a rat's ass about "the family", they would be passing funding for child care, mandatory one-year maternal and paternal leave for new borns/adoptions, universal health care for children (at minimum), etc. But no, it's much more important to thwart someone's ability to get divorced, even if it's a bad marriage.
They just want to go back to the "good old days" when women were subservient and had limited choices available to them. All those uppity women who don't need to rely on marriage for security ... that is the real problem.
Where is the compassion for others?
Oh, I forgot... poor people -- and fat people -- do not deserve it. We only give compassion to beautiful young white girls who "go missing".
A "farce and a fraud" is exactly what we have in Florida and Michigan.
I am a Florida Democrat, but this nonsense has me thinking I will be changing to Independent after this election. If the DNC is going to marginalize my vote and give it like a gift to the front runner, then no thank you, I will just change to Independent and skip the primaries every year.
... is about as effective as pissing in the wind.
Much of the initial coverage about Fort Hood turned out to be wrong. Is there anything wrong with that?
The accountability imposed by another country for the CIA's kidnapping and torture reveals much about our own.
Fox News' morning show plays to type, talking about whether Muslims in the Army should face "special debriefings"
219 Democrats and one Republican join in favor of the legislation, which passed by a narrow margin
The survivor and author is upset about comparisons some on the right are making to genocide
Salon headlines in your mailbox
