Sunday, March 02, 2008

Manic Monday


Today’s word over at It’s A Blog Eat Blog world is Want.

Who doesn’t want something? We all go through life wanting something but feel guilty if we want something for ourselves.

Watching Oprah’s Big Tonight where you are able to give to someone else who Wants something is exactly what I am talking about.

I was raised in a Catholic household were you were taught to give to others even if you had nothing. I remember my parents who couldn’t scrape 2 pennies together getting a bonus or their overtime check and buying for neighbors who were in dire straits. Sometimes I was so jealous watching them load up the bags to be delivered to the other homes. Candy, cookies, chips, soda, on top of the obvious food that you need for a family to survive. The reason I mention the cookies, candy and other things is because WE never had any of that stuff. Sugar cereal was also not something we had but these kids in the other house were going to get it! We got the boring, generic cereal without the colorful fun box let alone a possible toy inside.

I wanted what my parents were putting in their bags.

I understood what my parents were doing and took a lot of that charity work into my life while growing up. Working Covenant House hot lines, volunteering at the local hospital in the ER, working Hospice, and running my own little soup kitchen on my ride home through the subways when I worked in the city all after my regular work hours. I loved it and eventually will get back to it when my kids are more self sufficient and I have something to give.

Ok, getting back to where I started this post.

I want respect - Respect from my husband, respect from my kids, I want to know that what I say is heard. We all want to be friggin heard damnit.

I want more time to myself while still spending as much time with my kids. Make sense to anyone else?

I want more time to think about my well being. This means I want more time to think about my health; working out, dieting, sleeping (alone), walking in the fresh air, reading, taking a nice long bath without pounding on the door.

I want more money. Who doesn’t want this but damn I am not afraid to say it. I want to put a new roof on the house, get new siding, put new windows in, take up the rugs, refinish or install hard wood floors, get a new bed and put window treatments on all my windows. I want a new bathtub, and toilet. I want a bigger vehicle. I want to get rid of all my unmentionables and buy new ones. I want a new garage door so that it is safer and doesn’t make so much damn noise the million and one times my husband opens it every morning.

I want a new set of attic stairs so that my husband doesn’t have to struggle every single time he takes them down.

I want to put money into retirement funds for myself and my husband, and I want a substantial savings for my children so that they won’t have to spend the first 10 years of their life after school, paying loans before they can get on with their lives.

Number 1 on my list for obvious reasons, I want health insurance for me, my husband and my children.

I feel that most of these things are so material but this is me being honest! I could ask for my kitchen to be redone and and I would love a new bedroom set but those are at the bottom of my want/wish list.

There is nothing wrong with wanting things and it think I should stop beating myself up for wanting more, better, extra.

Life is short and we can dream all we want!

14 comments:

  1. Health Insurance for your family is a big WANT. Hope it comes for you soon in 2008!
    May you get everything you want.
    Thanks for participating in Manic Mondays,
    ~ Manic Mo

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  2. I want. Constantly. :)

    Ian

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  3. Some of these things sound more like needs than wants - especially the health insurance. I hope you're able to get some, if not all, of these things.

    I've got a ton of wants myself but they all just seem so out of reach most of the time.

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  4. Wanting and needing are so different! Most of those things you need! Great post! Happy MM!

    Mine is here: http://blog.mysocalledsite.com/?p=270

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  5. Anonymous4:52 AM

    Yeah, I want health insurance too! I can't get it. I'm a diabetic so it is way too expensive ($800/month for just me). I'm disabled so I can't afford it! I WANT it!

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  6. Need is dinner, want is dessert. Hope you get both.

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  7. Oh god, I would be on the street without health insurance. My kids have so many health issues too. I hope for you that it comes in 2008!

    Great Monday Post " I just want your extra time and your kiss kiss" ( Prince). Come on over and check out what I want!

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  8. I hope you get all your wants this year and especially health insurance. Have a great MM. :)

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  9. I want most of those same things... especially insurance, though we do qualify for some assistance it's mostly only for emergencies. Legally Jasmine is supposed to be covered under her dad's plan, but sometims she is and sometimes she isn't, depending on his job.

    I think I started blogging because I felt so voiceless in my life. Not everybody wants to hear what I have to say, but at least I get to say it now.

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  10. Thanks Mo. Great MM as usual.
    It has been months since the kids were covered by Medicaid and even longer since my husband and I have been covered. I am praying that we are able to afford it soon. As you get older it gets scarier not having it but especially for my kids. Amazing that every political candidate talks about affordable health and healthcare yada, yada; my 2 & 4 year old have been denied healthcare because we have 200 over the monthly allowance since September. Being self employed my husbands salary is never the same but they have a calculation that that they use no if, ands, or buts.

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  11. Ian, I hear ya man.

    Linda,I guess that is true but when the roof still stands and the siding isn't falling off, you get the rest, it does seem more like a want to me. But yes, HI is especially a NEED. It is amazing that we have been without it for so long. Thank God, knock on wood it does seem like it might be in our reach before the year ends.

    One, Yes want and needs are different but man can I write out a big list of wants or what? I've never been very materialistic but it would be nice to go shopping without thinking of prices just once.

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  12. Corina, Oh geez I am so sorry to hear that. It sucks that insurance is so hard to get when people NEED it so badly.

    Jamie, Thank you so much.

    Flying Monkeys, Thank you so much and I will come by the check out your post.

    Sandee, Thank you for reading. I appreciate it so much.

    Marilyn, Lovely. That sounds like a difficult way to budget. As for being heard I HEAR you.

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  13. Nothing wrong with wanting the good things in life! And you and your family certainly deserve health care!

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  14. I totally understand...makes sense to me! "I want more time to myself while still spending as much time with my kids. Make sense to anyone else?"

    You have been able to say, exactly what I've been thinking, just about all my adult life. As you said so elequantly... I feel too guilty when "I WANT" something for myself, I feel as if I'm being selfish!

    Hope you can get as much as you WANT here in your list.

    Thank you!

    Happy MM! :)

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