Neighbors and life choices

      I do like my neighbors, I don’t know most of them very well, and I only visit with the retired couple across my south street side.  And today I baked bread, I do that almost every weekend as I don’t buy bread.  And so I called and asked if they would like a loaf, and took it over and chatted a bit.

     But i don’t know if I can do much more of that, she’s so bitter, angry and looking to blame so many ‘others’ who don’t ‘belong’ here.  And she’s also lost a grandson, adult due to drug overdose.  And of course she’s blaming all the ‘illegals’ who come across our southern border, dressed in the most expensive clothes and bringing all those drugs.  And the crime and high prices are partly due to all those Africans who should go back where they belong. . . .

      But it’s actually US legal citizens who are bringing those drugs in, and it’s a damn shame so many people Choose to use those drugs, and who choose to drink.  And those people who she’s complaining about what they buy at our local stores, they are MY coworkers and we have been running anywhere from 44-60 hour weeks for about 2 years now. The overtime pay is nice but we all could get by without so much of it and have more quality family time.  

     Yes, they are, or many are driving good vehicles, and they are paying for them too, many have been here and legal for many years, people who had babies now have college graduates, honor roll seniors, kids looking at buying their first homes.  My little kids are also adults too, time has flown by.  

     I get it that their fixed income doesn’t go as far as they would like, and I do understand that his stroke, soon after retirement has not been easy for either of them, but it’s not any of our immigrant families here that are at fault, they worked darn hard for the $ that is buying those groceries and that meat in those shopping carts at our local Walmart. 

     And the border is Not open, those Africans worked hard and paid filing fees and more fees and worked for years to come here, and most work darn hard in that same meat packing plant where I work.  And the Hispanic people have worked hard for what they have, from cars to homes to clothing to kids going on to College. And the Burmese are here now and are great workers, clean, tidy and polite. 

    I also have a good car, and a couple Vespa bikes, but I don’t have any $ television subscription service, no reason to pay for something I don’t want or need. I also make a good living at that plant, and because I overpaid my taxes, and I deliberately do that, I had a very healthy refund from both the federal and the state revenue services. 

     I wish she wasn’t so angry, so bitter and I also wish she didn’t listen to so much trash from Fox News and similar sources, but I can’t change her mind and I can’t make her life happy, rich or bring back that dead grandson, an adult who did work at our plant years ago, I actually was training him on a job when he quit, I don’t think he worked a full month at or plant, or at many of the jobs he’s has had over the past 15+ years, so, thinking and adding, he was not a young kid but a man in his mid 30’s to early 40’s. A man who had a long history of making what I saw as poor choices.  

     I don’t want to ever get that bitter, that jealous of  others, that angry at life and at people I don’t know.  My life isn’t perfect but I will say I am happier now that I am back on 2nd shift. My life just has better balance, and I have quality time playing with yarns and fabric and making things. I like being a maker of things like quilts and socks and doll clothes.