Perhaps we have too many folks

[k-289]

Many working walmert mom's don't have a choice ---

[Nebrfarmr]

That may be true, now, but most have gotten to that point through a series of choices, that landed them there. When I was in school, I took every possible class, that had anything to do with self-suffiency I could take. From mechanics, to welding, to plumbing, and so on. I worked hard in school, got good grades, and went on to Lincoln, as far as my scholarship money lasted. I passed the journeyman electrician and plumber tests about when the money ran out. I come from a family, where we had to hand - pitch hay into a junkyard silage cutter with no head, because we couldn't pay for a hay grinder to come out. I make no bones about driving a 1986 Dodge, but o bought it about 14 years ago, give or take, and not counting tires, gas, and oil changes, have less than $3000 total invested in it, not counting my work. I got it, because it was mechanically sound, had no computer, and was still carbureted, so I could fix 90% of what went wrong with it. It is ugly, but I know most every bolt, bearing and seal on that thing. Yes, many of the 'Wal-Mart people are stuck there with no options, but how many of them drone off to work, spend $5+ at Starbucks every day, puff cigarettes on break, and spend their off time doing nothing to improve their situation? Every single person I know personally, myself included, who REALLY wanted to improve their situation, has done so. Every one. No, it didn't happen overnight, but in all cases, hard work, perseverance, and bettering their educaton has paid off. Some took night school at the Community College, other did overtime, and got the boss' attention for being hard workers. However, the point is, they made a choice to improve themselves, and did. The ones who sat around, because opportunity didn't knock down their door, and force itself on them, instead of going looking for it, didn't find much. Now, there are those who have had an injury, or such, but most of the time, it, too, is a temporary setback. Opportunities are out there, but they don't come calling, they must be sought out.

[Kay/NC]

I earnd a four-year degree in less than three, and had worked from age six in tobacco, peanuts, hogs and laying hens...no way was imaging kids before I could provide for them. Mike felt the same way.  

BTW, there was no Walmart in our region until about 20 years ago...the world turns

[k-289]

Nebr   -  must be on a similar page with the dodge's  - a 96  -with "40 k" on it  - and it works great in the local commute for myself and our farm situation although if it or anyother brand has 150k on it and I had to send my spouse to work on a crowded interstate commute it would be heartless and foolish ---this is the case every day for some folks and it is a miserable plite ---we are fortunate to be in a rural setting with a whole different life style and access to some opportunity ---after watching  PBS -America Reframed on Postville Iowa the lottery ticket volumes will continue to be aggressive ---  $2 hope is a interesting instant tax  --- 

[Nebrfarmr]

If by 'fortunate' you mean that I was working 60-80 hours a week, regularly, and up to 101 hours a week (the most I kept track of) doing things like custom farming, to pay down my machinery debt, and working the off-season with electricians, plumbers, builders, etc, to get my head above water, then I guess I was fortunate.  However, when I was leveling concrete, and handling bin sheets, I could have sworn that it was by personal choice, to better myself.   I was on a crew that built bins, then they had me wire them, while I had my journeyman's electrician's license (all that someone fully certified had to do was 'inspect' my work, I actually did all of the work).  I've worked on pole sheds, all sorts of wiring, and more kinds of plumbing than I care to talk about.   It was all by choice, to get my debt paid down (plus my wife working full time) so that when we got kids, we could take care of them ourselves, instead of a day care.

There are opportunites for ANYONE to better themselves, if they apply themselves to find it.   The ones I REALLY feel sorry for, are those who are perfectly happy, being miserable.