Thursday, November 25, 2010

Maybe I need an internet break?

Yes, I am back. What can you expect? All my friends in Lynchburg are gone for the holidays. My husband is working. My kittens are napping. My reading is... getting done. The movie is watched. The food is cooked and eaten. I am bored. I have too much time. It is wonderful... and terrible all at the same time.

I may have gotten the couch to be usable again. We will still try to buy a new couch sometime in the near future (meaning in the next half year), but if this works then why bother? I have cleaned the entire couch thoroughly with Nature's Miracle. I also sprayed it with febreeze fabric. When we go home my dad is giving me some leather cleaner specifically for these couches. It definitely doesn't smell strongly anymore. I'll have to wait for everything to dry to determine if it is worth keeping. We may just throw it out when we come home from vacation and not have a couch for awhile to see if Emily pees on anything else. We have a loveseat and comfy chair, so we will not be entirely furniture-less.

I need a large bookshelf. I also want to buy some shelves for the wall in the living room. While I am not good at decorating, I am learning to be more creative. I want to at least have all mg books off their piles on the floor and on a shelf by the time my in-laws come for Christmas. We can buy a bookshelf. It's just hard because I'm so picky. I just need one that has a lot of space. Then we'll buy some shelves for the living room and I'll showcase some of my favorite there. I can finally get some cutesy book ends!

My current grad class is all about multicultural issues. Basically, discrimination. I know there are definite instances of discrimination and those instances make me upset. But what makes me more upset is when people take advantage of their situation and blame it on discrimination. A person isn't white so that means everyone else in the world is out to get them. I'm not a male so I can't rise up the ladder at work. I was born poor so that means I can't get an education. I'm physically handicapped so that means no one thinks of me as a human being. It is ridiculous some of the things my textbook is trying to "teach" me. It is a secular book so I understand. And yes, all the above examples do have warrant in certain situations. But the examples in the book are ridiculous! This book is a collections of articles, excerpts from news stories, and excerpts from books. A lot of it is personal anecdotes of individuals who have been discriminated against. I can't help but think that here I am, an Asian woman, and I am working on my Master's and thusfar have a 4.o in that. I graduated from undergrad with honors a year earlier than normal. I have a good job and I know for a fact that I am making more than some of the males in my office of the same position. I do not know this because I blab my salary, but others talk and I hear. I know how much I make and incidentally by their discussion I know how much they make. I don't feel like I've ever really been the subject of harsh racism. Maybe minor offenses here or there, but nothing memorable. It's all in how you hold yourself and your general outlook on life. Yes, there are definitely real instances of discrimination in the workforce, education, or everyday life. Those do need to be addressed. But so often discrimination is used as a crutch when things don't go one particular persons way. Only one article so far in my entire 700 page textbook said that the line is thin between discrimination and personal hurt feelings.

Makes me very thankful that I plan to be a stay at home mom. I thought I wanted to work in social services... but that is one jacked field. Dealing with too many people's problems that are generally self inflicted and created. having impossible standards to live by from your professional code of conduct. Needing to advocate for every people group, even those I am morally against personally. Sigh.

Big day. Lots of information. Matthew should be home soon. It is late. I could just go to bed. Seems like a waste since I don't have to work tomorrow.

Joy! Happy Thanksgiving once again.

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