Monday 5 February 2007

I don't really have a name for this entry

 
Its been a really long time since i've updated in journal land. I had over 100 alerts, I tried to catch up but failed miserably. The pressure to catch up just got to me and I deleted them all, I will try and read past entries when I visit your journals, but I hope yall can forgive me. If i'm missed anything vital, please email me and direct me to where you want me to read.
 
I'm not sure if it's just because its that special time of the month or if its because i'm so very stressed, maybe both, but i'm really having a hard time right now. Have to force myself to hold back the tears. It seems to just be constantly one thing or another. I'm forced to question why some people have it so much easier than others, why some of us have to work so much harder to have things that others take for granted?
 
I know there's always someone worse off and I know that there are thousands of people who would do anything to have what I have. But really, I try, I try every single day of my life to make the best decisions. Not only for myself but for those around me too.
 
I'm not terribly special and I don't doubt for a second that the best things in my life, that will ever be in my life, are my family and Adam. And I try to appreciate them every day and be thankful for the blessing of love that God has given me. I know what's important in life.
 
But it seems all over the world that there are those who struggle to get by financially and those who seem to have it all made. True, some people work damn hard to get what they have. But at the same time, I know people who've worked all their life any job they can find to put food on the table and keep a roof over their families head. People who are always kind and loving and funnily enough, ready to give what little they have to help others out.
 
Its generally believed that moneydoesn't bring you happiness, can't bring you love. Not sure if that's true or not. But I do know that you won't be happy for very long if you loose your home or if you can't afford to feed and clothe your children.
 
I don't come from a rich family. I don't know if i'd call us middle class, like so many others we live pay cheque to pay cheque and struggle to get by. I think perhaps if I lived in a two parent home, two incomes would make a great difference, but as it is we get by.
 
I suppose i'm just really frustrated with my financial circumstances right now. I'm studying two academic courses and working as many hours as they'll give me to pay for school. And help out my mum whenever and wherever possible. But it still isn't enough. I know when I get back from seeing Adam i'll have to get a second job. Maybe some bar work, something I can do in the evenings.
 
And before I get any hate mail like some jlanders do about using their money in wiser ways, Adam paid the majority of my ticket because we haven't seen each other in six months. I know that if it wasn't for him i'd be insane and would probably have fled the country and changed my name. Either that or i'd be doing something I really wouldn't want to be doing.
 
I guess i'm just really frustrated because so much pressure is being put on me by my journalism school to pay the fees and i went for lunch today with a girl on my course who's just decided to quit. £3,200 down the drain. But I don't suppose it matters to her because her parents paid for the course and they must obviously have the money to waste. Even if my mum had paid for the course, there's no way she'd let me quit. She sit in those classes with me and made sure I did the work. To some people, that might not be a lot of money, but to me it is. And it drives me crazy because I know if I don't pay it, I can be kicked off the course and made to pay anyway.
 
We've had two people in our class give up and leave and it frustrates me so much because I want to do this course more than anything, this is the career I want, but because of financial reasons I might not be able to do it. Its just terribly distressing.
 
This girl I was talking to today just seems to have no idea what the real world is about. She's never worked in her life, 23 and never worked! Ever since I started working at 17 i've been buying everything I need. Her parents give her money and do everything for her. I've known people like that and still do. People who've never had to work for anything because their parents give it to them. People who don't know how to do laundry or cook or how much work you need to do before you can afford a pair of jeans. Or how guilty you feel afterwards for spending money on something that you need but doesn't feed you or keep your lights on.
 
I don't know. It just seems to suck to me. I'm not saying I want things handed to me, because if that had been the case for me, I wouldn't be who I am today. I like that I know the meaning of hard work and what it's like to struggle. But all i'm asking for is that once in a while, someone somewhere cuts me a break.
 
Who knows, maybe i've offended Him upstairs, but right here, right now, i'm asking for His help.
 
(sighs) ok, that's enough of that stuff because I refuse to cry. don't care how many times I have to stop and start this entry, but i'm not gonna cry. And its for that reason that i'm not gonna tell jland how wonderful you guys are right now and how much i love you all. how much you mean to me. because i won't be able to stop the tears.
 
I do wanna thank you all for your well wishes for Adam on the job front. He had his interview and went in for his weld test and was offered a job. His first day is today so i'm eager to hear how it went. I hope the people are nice. Last night I felt somewhat like a mother taking her child to school for the first time because I was worried that the kids there might be mean to him. I told him to tell the teacher and mommy would sort it out. he just laughed. I hope he'll be happy working there. He'll be welding more, big yay! and he'll be earning more which goes better with his plans.
 
I hope all you guys are well, thanks for stopping by. you've no idea what it means to me. so many times you guys have brought me back from the edge.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey Shermeen..  Hang in there at school---don't give up!!!  If you do, you will regret it for the rest of your life!!  Some people don't know the benefits of hard work because it is given to them--these people may seem lucky, but in the end, they won't be able to reap the rewards of fullfilling their dreams--it IS worth it!!  Perhaps your friend didn't really want to go into journalism--may be she doesn't know what she wants.  Take care, and congrats to Adam with his new welding job.  KEEP SMILING!!  Julie :)  

Anonymous said...

Shermeen, my son and me had this exact conversation earlier on...Im 57 and still live pay day to pay day. This was what I was saying, all my friends have husbands and dual incomes and savings! I choose not to have a husband so will happily stay broke! lol Seriously though it does get to you sometimes...believe me I know what u are saying...my son at home is 33 and hes in the same position as me... He has always been a generous friend but not so many were around when he was down...I have everything crossed for Adam and his first day lol. You will soon be seeing him...Linda xx

Anonymous said...

I am so sorry you are feeling this way Shermeen!  My husband has been talking the same way you are in this journal, and I will tell you what I told him, (by the way, this was just last night) Yes, it is true that some people, have it all who don't work, while some are working their butts off to get nothing, or the minimal in life, but if you work hard it will pay off in the end some way, some how, some time in the future.  God has a plan for everyone, and the plan will be unfolded at some time in the future.  You just have to keep doing what you are doing, God has your life on a blueprint.  Just enjoyed your life now and don't stress over the future because then you won't be enjoying the good stuff that happen in the present, and then you will be looking at your past going/saying what happened?  Focus on now and the good stuff in your life, and the rest will come how you want it.  I can't wait for you to see your love this month!  Are you getting excited?  Focus on that for now!  You will in your loves arms shortly and everything will look up!
Love ya and big hugs to you always,
Vick

Anonymous said...

I am so sorry you are feeling this way Shermeen!  My husband has been talking the same way you are in this journal, and I will tell you what I told him, (by the way, this was just last night) Yes, it is true that some people, have it all who don't work, while some are working their butts off to get nothing, or the minimal in life, but if you work hard it will pay off in the end some way, some how, some time in the future.  God has a plan for everyone, and the plan will be unfolded at some time in the future.  You just have to keep doing what you are doing, God has your life on a blueprint.  Just enjoyed your life now and don't stress over the future because then you won't be enjoying the good stuff that happen in the present, and then you will be looking at your past going/saying what happened?  Focus on now and the good stuff in your life, and the rest will come how you want it.  I can't wait for you to see your love this month!  Are you getting excited?  Focus on that for now!  You will in your loves arms shortly and everything will look up!
Love ya and big hugs to you always,
Vick

Anonymous said...

Don't know why there are two same comments from me on here!  I'm sorry!  lol  Hugs, Vick

Anonymous said...

when you graduate you are going to look back with PRIDE at how hard you worked for what you have and you will go thru life appreciating it more, trust me. I can relate to the whole entry. So many with no real compassion that have so much and judge others and say hurtful things and then others with nothing would have a heart of gold.
I am glad Adam got the job. With the miserable economy in America, it is a wonderful thing for a young man to get a GOOD job!
You are so special to me.
LOVE, lj

Anonymous said...

Shermeen, I am sorry you are having a hard time .I feel you about people that have everything handed to them, they have no idea what it is like for us, the people who have to work for a living, I hope Adam had a good first day of his job, you are such a great friend and I adore you, Hugs Lisa

Anonymous said...

Awww, Shermeen, I'm sorry you're feeling down right now. Sometimes it does feel as though you're pushing a huge rock up a hill. But like Lisa and everyone else said -- and you know in your heart -- it's because you've had to work for things that you will VALUE them when you get there. People like the girl you had lunch with value very little and will constantly be striving for something to give them joy and fulfillment. When you work hard for something and achieve it, it fills your heart, body and soul with the knowledge that YOU made it happen. Instead of envying her and people "like her," you should pity them. They will never know the value of a dollar....the value of a great education....the value of anything, really. Trust me, Shermeen -- I have been there and done that. Rob and I started with NOTHING, not a pot to piss in (pardon the expression) and have worked for every single thing we have. We also work hard now to impress all this on our teenagers who see what we have and think we should just GIVE them everything. Well, sorry, girls, it doesn't work that way. They must EARN what they get, learn how to work for and save money, etc, etc. It's our JOB as parents to make them learn this the hard way. Your friends' parents have done her a great disservice by giving her everything....you'll see, Shermeen. SHE will never be satisfied.....YOU definitely WILL be!!

Hugs,
:) Carol

Anonymous said...

So happy to hear that Adam did get that job!  HOORAY!!  I would feel proud of him too.  :)  I have gone through life being envious of others and I try so hard not to be now since the only thing it does is make you sick inside.  Some of us are just put on this earth to learn lessons and to struggle financially like we do.  That's the way I look at it and it does help.  My husband has a saying, "Money comes to money" and that's the truth.  The people that struggle each day to put food on their tables for their children hardly ever get a break, but yet someone that is already well off ends up getting raises, bonuses and promotions left and right.  I don't get it, but I try not to let it get to me too much.  You are doing the right thing staying in school and working harder because of the struggle to pay for it on your own.  You WILL succeed while those kids whose parents pay for everything will be mooching off their parents for the rest of their lives.  I hope you feel better today.
Hugs and love,
Lisa

Anonymous said...

Glad Adam got the job..that's great news.. and not long now till you see him..hang in there hunny...
Lyn

Anonymous said...

Tell Adam Congrats on his new job.  We all feel down at times, but things change everyday.  Tomorrow will be a better day because that is truely what you strive for.  You want a good life and therefore you will work hard to get that good life!  Hang in there.  :)
http://journals.aol.com/mrsm711/LatteDah/     Tracy

Anonymous said...

Shermeen,

It's those people who are "given everything" who aren't  prepared for the reality of life as we know it.  When real life hits them (daddy loses his great job, a tornado or some force of nature wipes out all that they have), they fall apart.  Thank God that you are the way you are; you have character and integrity, which cannot be bought with money, but can only be earned through life's experiences.

I feel that way that you feel lots of times, Shermeen.  But you know what?  I have to look back on my life and be grateful for all the experiences that I have had, whether good or bad.  They made me who I am today, and are shaping the person that I am becoming.  I find that now, things that were hard for me to deal with before, like, not having exactly what I want to fix my family for dinner, is a piece of cake now, because I have learned to make do with what I have available.  I am a much better cook, and I am always grateful that we may not have steak, but we have food to eat, it fills the stomach, and it is good!  If I didn't have those experiences before, when food was scarce, I wouldn't have learned how to "make do" and satisfy the need that was there!  

Always remember that those hard times don't last forever, Shermeen.  It doesn't look that way now, but TRUST ME, life is a JOURNEY, and you are just beginning to embark on yours!

Love,

Adrian
   

Anonymous said...

Hang in there Sherms.  You're doing the right things and it's all gonna turn out fine!  Love ya, Shelly

Anonymous said...

I can relate to your situation 100%. Hang in there babe, it will get better one day... thats what I hear anyway! And I would never criticize your buying a plane ticket when money is tight. I for one have had a long distance relationship and know how wonderful it is to get to that special someone and have them hold you... I get it! Take care!

Anonymous said...

Hey Girl.  I am so happy to see that you are back in action.  I must have been out of the loop.  I am going to try to post more, just for you my dear.  I miss you.  I am with ya on money...for the first time in my life, I have some, and now I am paying of $20,000 in student loans...aaah!  Love ya Sherms!  KJ

Anonymous said...

AWWW!  My friend!  I so hate to see you stressing..if I can hand anything to your as advise it would be to take one day at a time and get through it...do what you can right now...try to save but if you need something you need something...I truly believe you will have your dreams come true..I know I say this to you a lot..but in my gut I really believe it to be true!  I hope that when you see Adam and lay your head on his shoulder with his arms wrapped around you and the kiss he places on your lips you will go back home feeling as if you have unlaoded at least some of your stresses.  I will be praying for you!  Try to stay strong and encouraged to keep at it...Hugs,TerryAnn

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry to hear you are struggling right now.  I know what you mean how some just get things handed to them, they don't have to work for anything and honestly you will find they have no appreciation for what they get in life.  I hear if you are patient things will come your way.  Sometimes I wonder, I keep praying, hoping and trying to stay positive.  I won't say it easy!  Let's keep our heads up and keep trying.  Keeping you in my positive thoughts and all my prayers.

Monica

Anonymous said...

Financial stress is so very hard to deal with. Do what you can to stay in your class and I do hope things get better. Good luck to Adam and his new job!
penny

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