Odds and Ends

Hello,

I have to confess that I did not know that yesterday was MLK day until I tried to use the post office at work. Do Iowans just not pay enough attention to such things? To a degree I am glad that it was not a day the library closed as I am a part time worker which means if there are holiday closures I do not get paid. Ironic how that matters when I have not worked for about six years and it had not mattered what was a paid holiday since it was all an unpaid holiday. I think it is easy to get sucked into the idea that money matters most.

On Sunday we went to a presentation about the neighborhood close to us that is more at risk than we are. The average income for that area was listed. Leroy noted that we do not earn that much. I commented, “With my income we go a bit over the average.”

 “Oh, I forgot about your income. For some reason I almost never think about it.” Leroy said.

With no holidays my earnings can pay the rent and utilities. So it does make a difference. We are certainly experiencing new feelings for people who have a low income. We, however, are quite happy and comfortable the way we are. I think we both see possibilities and have hope. Is that the essential difference? We are also debt free and that matters. Plus we save for something rather than buy it on credit. We do not need/want so many additions, for instance no cable TV. Although it might be better if we watched the news some as I did not know just when was the inauguration. I knew it is traditionally late January, but I never checked for the date.

I am trying to use the iPod more. It is on now, but I find it very distracting. It is hard to keep a thought going. I prefer silence. I would like, to a degree, the cloistered life. There is other noise here; the furnace is running, the clock is ticking, and there is the ringing in my ears. I do not really need much more sound.

Paula