Sunday, February 28, 2010

On becoming an activist

I really dislike the idea of someone or something being helpless. When I first found out that people hurt animals, I decided that I needed to do something about it. When I realized that children and elders were treated the same way, I knew that it would be wrong to not help. Now it's my own family member who is threatened, and I'm not about to let her go down.

My mom, however, is determined to help herself, and it's sort of awesome.

I mean, it's not that she's not paralyzed with depression at times, but for the most part, she's plugging along really well. She called the Governor's office, and Barbara Boxer's office. Schwartzeneger's office had someone call her back and record what happened, and Boxer's office has been in contact, wanting to also get a formal statement, and also to get her account numbers and other information. It's really awesome, and I'm hoping that more will come of this.

So far, we've talked to a lot of people who have similar stories, and I really think that if we can all get motivated, maybe, just maybe someone will listen.

As for school, my brother came home to help us move, and as he was leaving, I gave him a hug, and he told me to not give up. I was considering it, but he's right. I can't give up. My mom is going to be okay on her own, and what I'm doing, I'm doing for the both of us.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Everybody's lost but me

So, I don't...make friends...easily (read: At All). I don't have that personality that people are drawn to, or even learn to appreciate over time. I'm surly and abusive, and I have the patience of a hungry lion. Over the years, I've learned to control these emotions, and I've earned a few people in my life that I wouldn't trade for anything (um...if this relationship between my friend A and the guy she's dating works out, I'm actually going to be a bridesmaid. Someone likes me that much!) (which is shocking to me.), and I actually hung out with these people this weekend on both Saturday and Sunday. Probably to most people that's like, "Well...duh. That's what you do."

No, what I do is hang out at home, cook, watch Start Trek: TNG reruns, and feel pretty okay about it because, you know, the alternative is going out into the world where other people are, and I hate other people. Like, actual misanthropy hating of other people who aren't me. Or the few people that I've come to love.

I wish that I had opportunities to let go of my hatred. I wish that people would confirm to me every now and then that people really are basically good on the inside. Instead for every instance of love and bravery, I get about forty more of selfishness and greed.

Hanging out with my friends doesn't stop me from feeling that way. It helps me maybe not care as much about it. But, I think in all, it was good that I got out. Apparently, I'm going out again this coming Sunday. Captain Eo is back at Disneyland. I haven't seen it since I was maybe 10 or 11. It's going to be fun.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Movin' on up

So. I'm now in a "gated community" which means that if you're trying to get into my complex, and you don't have a clicker, you just sit there at the gate until someone behind you comes along with one, and you enter. Yay me!

There's a drive-thru Starbucks not ten yards from my complex. Oh, we're moving up, all right. I can tell I'm on the white-people side of the train tracks (there are actual train tracks, BTW) because I went to the Ralphs to look for greens for my guinea pigs, and the most they had was collard greens and green-leaf lettuce. Oh, the iceberg that stretched beyond imagining. The hothouse tomatoes that were piled in pyramids. No chickens feet were in the meat section, no cow tongue. I walked out and drove down to the Henry's that's about ten miles away, whereas the Ralphs is on the next block. What can I say? My boys need their dandilion greens and red chard.

As for Fanny May...well, my mom delivered her keys and was given the money that Fanny May had promised. She talked to the guy for a little while, and told him that she didn't blame him, and she knew that it was his company that was to blame. He asked her if she had been in the government-assisted program to help lower her mortgage rates, and she said yes. He nodded and said that Fanny May and other lenders have been playing along with those programs, but only for so long. Then they foreclose. They help just enough people to keep the government off their backs, and everyone else gets the shaft. He said that FM owns so many properties right now that they aren't putting in new carpeting or painting the walls. The houses sell at auction as-is, for better or worse.

Right now, we're trying to find some advocacy groups so that we can share our story, and maybe start trying to get people to take notice.

As for me...I'm getting an A in math so far this semester, though I'm way behind in my homework (hopefully I'll fix that this weekend), and I'm doing all right.