Sunday, February 15, 2009

I got told

See that whiny post from Friday?

Well, I toddled over to Girl's Gone Child 'cause I'm addicted to the mommy blogs (I look at them like big-sisters... everything I want to be when I grow up... except sans kids) that night and I found this post.

I got told, kids, I got told.

Seriously! What am I thinking?! In this economy, in what could get REALLY ugly REALLY fast... I'm complaining about not having everything I want?! There are so many people in some bad places out there, people who have reached their limits and have been pushed to the very edge. What would they do to survive? For their families? I know what I'm capable of, and it's not pretty.

I feel lucky after reading the stories that Rebecca has put up of her encounters with our current economy. Very lucky. The boyo and I are well employed with jobs that seem (hey, you never know) very secure at the moment and we've got a place to live and food to eat. That's really fucking great, if you ask me!

I know people who are not as lucky. My father-in-law up until last week (huzzah!) was unemployed since Dec. 1st, and they didn't tell us until Christmas as they didn't want us to worry. We talked about places to find jobs, what works, and what doesn't in the search for a job each time we saw them. You could see that they were worried, and yet they still worried about us, that the boyo and I were doing well in our jobs, that we were still secure.

Rebecca of Girl's Gone Child is starting a blog to collect stories of how these hard times are affecting everyone. The blog is called Portraits of the Economy where you can write your own post on the state of our economy and the effect on you, your friends and family, your neighborhood and any of your environs. You can email your stories to rebeccawoolf at gmail dot com or just go check out the site and contact her from there.

I'd also like to point you to Post to the President, where they're trying to compile letters from people in hopes that the president can hear our voices, know our stories.

I've always believed in the power of storytelling. A story can be a powerful thing when you hear it, especially when you know that these are stories coming from around us, people just like you and me that are just trying to get by. These stories are more than just stories, they're faces of the reality of our current economic situation.

I'd like to urge you to read and contribute if you have anything you'd wish to share. Our voices are what rouse and shape change. Use them.

2 comments:

Bee said...

I can say my job is safe for now but the hubs is an electrician and construction jobs are getting hit big time. ::sigh:: :o(

Ceci Virtue said...

@Bee - has he been getting work though? Some? Has he been lucky??
I'll have my mom light some candles at church for you guys (as she does for her heathen daughter... namely, me)

It's nutty out there. I don't usually forget but sometimes I do hahahaha! I've a few friend who have been unemployed since November/ December. All I can do is hope for them. Tough times... VERY tough times. I feel so lucky!