Times they are a changing...

One only has to look outside and they can understand that space is at a premium.  In many parts of the country the farmland is dwindling while concrete and large buildings invade. Is this good or bad? I'm sure there are many arguments to support both, what it definitely shows is that the average person should not rely on others for food. There may come a time when food is in a shortage (for the "average" American, I know there are people who already are suffering from food shortages) and we will need to rely on ourselves and our community for food.

The best way to do this, in my opinion, is for each household to start a garden.  It doesn't have to be big or elaborate-just a small space to grow food.  I know money is a factor (at least it is for me) so you don't have to start with 10 different vegetables and a huge plot.  I definitely do not have a green thumb but I feel it is important to embrace the idea that we should provide as much of our own food as possible because the farmlands are not coming back. I think rooftop gardens and backyard gardens and balcony gardens and windowsill gardens are the future. Today is a good day to do some research into your own climate, see whats grows best and choose to plant at least one type of vegetable or fruit. If you would rather spend money on someone else to garden then consider joining a CSA, you can search for local ones in your area or buy from local farmer stands.

If you are really ambitious and love gardening, that leads me to my big idea: Start a community garden. I love to go through Seattle or other neighborhoods and see the clever ways residents have incorporated gardens and food into their community. I love the sense of shared responsibility and camaraderie it gives people.  I would really love to start one myself but I'm a little nervous and unsure of how to go about it.  Does the land get donated? Do people do a fundraiser and raise money for the plot? If someone has personal experience starting a community garden let me know, I would love to hear about it!

Charity starts at home

One thing we Americans know very well is debt.  Not that we understand finances, or exactly how much debt we have or how long it will take to pay it off, but we know that debt is part of life.  I thought that too, how could it not be? You rarely hear someone say, "yeah, it took me three years but I finally saved up enough to buy that new car I wanted!" Big purchases are relegated to what we can afford monthly and the total amount is stored somewhere in the back of our heads where we never hear from it again. If we want to change the world one of the first things we as individuals need to do is get our own shit straight.

 By that I mean we need to look at our finances and our goals and do our best to make sure we are not buying into this debt trap. The best thing you can do is avoid it (I'm talking to you 17 year olds who haven't gotten any credit cards yet), but if you already do have debt I recommend looking into resources like Dave Ramsey and credible debt relief programs. It makes sense doesn't it? If an individual has no debt and has a savings in place, they have more flexibility in life.  If their boss is a tyrant or their company is corrupt, they can quit without fear of losing everything they have worked so hard for.  Debt is a tool of the people in power to keep us from delving too deep into the issues around us. By keeping us working and too afraid to question we lose almost all of our power.

 I am definitely not saying it is easy, getting out of debt is no 6 month plan, but it is a worthwhile goal. I hope to have my student loans paid off in two years and save up to buy a house with no mortgage. There are going to be times (and have been times) when I act like an addict and succumb to buying things I don't need and that don't fit into my plan. Life happens, backsteps happen, the important lesson to take is that you make the mistake and then move forward, don't let the spiral turn into a blackhole.  So, in conclusion, the small step we can all take is to look at our own finances and be honest with ourselves and not buy into the idea that debt should be normal.  Of course, I understand that this economy completely sucks for many people trying to find a job, and that brings me to my big idea for the day..............................

A huge barrier for families and single parents is the cost of good quality childcare.  I know for myself before I remarried I was able to have the state pay for childcare for my two children.  This was great for me because otherwise at the end of the day I would have ended up working 40 hours a week and still not have enough to pay the daycare costs.

Recently in Washington state I discovered that families who financially need daycare assistance have to be placed on a waitlist and they no longer can receive benefits right away in that area.  I understand some people may say, "yeah, well, that's their fault for having kids, they have to deal with the consequences." I agree to a certain extent (I made the decision to have children before I was financially responsible), but I also feel that humans are connected and children are our greatest resource.  Children should have to pay for no ones mistakes and receiving a good quality pre-K education should be a right.  In many countries preschool and daycare are free and I believe this helps those children to not have learning gaps when they enter formal education; which many of the students in America do.  (Yes, I know that taxes are being paid to make these institutions free, but I think that it is a great use of tax money.  However, I know America is scared of socialism so the idea that I am proposing does not use tax money).

 Because of the economy and lack of good quality childcare I think what we may need to do is come together and form babysitting co-ops.  What I mean by this is that Parent A and Parent B watch each other's children while the other parent is at work.  They provide free, good quality childcare to each other and thus each parent gets to keep all of their paycheck.  Of course, it doesn't have to be that Parent A watches Parent B's children all 40 hours of the workweek, maybe Parent A has a relative who can watch them one day a week, or a friend, it really does take a village.  Of course there would have to be kinks but I believe the solution to our problems are not going to be solved by tax money because the people who control those decisions just don't get it.  They don't know what it's like to make less than $20,000 a year and have to take care of four people with that salary.  They don't know what it's like not to have sick days or not have medical insurance.  If we are going to get through this, we have to come together.

I have a BA degree in Human Services but I took a job as a server because my husband and I won't have to pay for childcare this way. Will I ever use my degree? I hope so, but I can't right now when the jobs pay $10 an hour and I would be paying $6 or more an hour in childcare. We all have to do what we have to do.  I think it's time for us to come together and work as a community.  It won't be easy, but it's worth a shot. When we lose hope we lose it all, but the best way to start positive change is to help those we know, it doesn't have to cost money.

Small steps...

So I know that the world is definitely not ideal and there are systems in place in this country that do not work. I read all the time about injustices, violence, ignorance and the demeaning of the human moral. I read these reports and I want to do my part, but how? How do I, one person, help change set in place systems? Do I riot? Do I start writing my congressman? Do I change it with my dollars or simply just keep wishing for positive change? I'm not going to pretend I know the answer but I know that I want to be proactive. So I decided that each day I will try to come up with an idea that can change things in a small way and one that could change things in a large way. Let's see where this goes...