Happy Late New Year And It’s Off To A Good Yet Rocky Start

            Happy Belated New Year. I know I have been quiet for a while and I am still working on my education reform piece. The new year is off to a pretty good though rocky start in some ways. For starters my sister is now living with me so that presents some new challenges and adjustments. But, working on adapting. Is it always easy no, but trying to make it as smooth as possible. Still a work in progress though. And, family is trying to help where they can and being hands off where they have to be.

            On top of that I am getting ready to start a life with a new life partner. All will be revealed in time, but she makes me extremely happy and lets me be me as well as treats me right. Along with being supportive of my goals and treatment. I don’t have a lot to offer in return except my support of her dreams and in any treatment, she seeks. As well as myself. I mean I am still just a poor guy n disability trying to get through school. But, I am going to try and step up my housekeeping and do a little better with the cooking. Especially, since I got a slow cooker for Christmas from my grandmother, which I am thankful for. And, I am going to do my best to show her everyday how much I love her and treasure her. She is also supportive of my religious studies as well.

            As I might or might not have mentioned here I am studying with Mormons from The Church of Jesus Christ of The Latter-Day Saints. I’ve made progress and moving slowly towards being baptized. It’s nice that even as I am part of a collective church group I am still a free individual more than I have ever felt in any church before. And, for me it is filled with positivity. Brings me to one of my New Year’s resolutions, which is to quit smoking. I’m making progress towards that though it is slow. I am now down below half a pack of smoking a day. Doing daily scriptures helps with that. At least for me.

            I get a little frustrated at times that people think me being a progressive is a bad thing and somehow, I don’t know how to read between the lines. Or that what I judge as a good news source isn’t because it doesn’t agree with their view. Nevermind the other sources I go to all the time. Yet it has to meet with their approval to be an alright news source for me or I get told to be careful. One of the first lessons we are taught in college is how to look at credibility of a source as well as a particular part of a source. And, even things I am judging based on my own eyes are being called out on as not true. It’s like I am a progressive and yes, I do respect traditions but when something needs to be fixed or done away with or made right in society in general I am going to go for it. Sometimes that means not playing ball with tradition. I give my views and what I know to be fact from reliable sources such as the Congressional Budget Office. But, people have now said this office has an agenda and I am looking at them like huh. But, this also goes as to why it was unwise to deregulate news in the first place. Corporations started really playing fast and loose with the news and now we have such distrust for the news that even simple facts are being questioned. And, anyone can spew whatever they want and call it news and discredit actual journalists trying to bring credit back to the business. Do I think journalists should have some personality in the giving of the news? Sure, but they should also give both sides of the story. Some of what I see is way over that line now a days. But, in general I am just tired of feeling like I am tired of being talked down to and not being talked to like I try to do to most people. Though I may come across as talking down to some people and if I do I am sorry for that. And, I will work on not doing it myself.

            Now going back to my sister as well as me. My mom is protective of us and thinks in some cases we don’t make the best decisions always. And, true I have made mistakes in the past though I have learned from them I would like to think. And, my sister is young still and bound to make many more though I will look out for her the best I can as she does so though hopefully not as many as me. I know as parents we want to shield our kids from all the bad things that can happen to them and all the things we did wrong along the way. But, I also know that sometimes they have to make the same mistakes or new ones we might see coming. I know my mom means well even as me and possibly my sister get aggravated with her. And, once I am done fuming I take it into consideration. I still plan to do what I do and stake a middle road with my sister sort of on her plans. Probably not what my mom wants exactly, but it gives my sister room to make mistakes without falling as flat as I would have in her shoes. And, with me I have faith in my decision and hope to prove mom that I am right. This is one of those trusting God things for me. As well as how happy I am parts. And, trusted advisors giving me the green light as well. I understand my mom’s caution though. I may not always come across as understanding, but I try to be. And, I know my mother might read this and be mad. Honestly, I care what my mother thinks but I have to make decisions towards my future as my sister does towards hers.

            Long-term my future is not where I am living, but I am here for now. And, I am not sure where my sister’s is but for now it is here. And, we are going to make the best of it and try to work together to make the transition smooth and when all is set and done whoever stays in the end stays. But, I am going to be supportive of my sister as she has tried to be of me. I am also going to make sure she is not stuck without a place to fallback to if it is not as planned. Not saying it won’t be but just in case. I’m forming a plan in my head sort of but it varies on what happens here and there. So I have to play the wait and see game. Everything should work out in the end I just have to go with the flow and trust God in my eyes. Still questions in some cases but I trust answers will come at some point when it is time for me to have them.

            Alas, I’ve rambled on enough for one day, more than enough actually. You can always find me writing weekly on Odyssey’s webpage in the SNHU community along with some other great writers. I plan to be more active here as well. I want to be busier in 2017 than I was last year. I will be having more family time though as well, so will have to balance the two out. Feel free to comment below as well as to share to start a conversation about how your new year is starting. As for me I have some reading and more work to work on as always. *Tips his hat and walks out the door*.