Friday, March 28, 2014

Obamacare: The war on businesses that don't want to pay

Since the big blowup discussions about Obamacare, conservative republicans have been looking for anyway they can to shoot it down. There are several things that I find negative about Obamacare, but the "War on Religious Freedom" is not one of them.

The blatant truth is that the businesses such as Hobby Lobby, which are saying this overreaches religious freedom, are just looking for a way out of an obligation. Businesses are citing religious reasons to get out of
something they don't want to do, because religion can sometimes be a scapegoat to get you out of things.

Of course, in this country, we have religious freedom and I am grateful for it. As a religious individual I believe it's important to be able to worship in peace the way I believe is right.

Hobby Lobby owners may not believe in birth control, but that doesn't mean that they should deny an important health care measure to those who don't have the same faith.I have known members of my own church who work at Hobby Lobby who have used birth control. These businesses seem to only care about their own minority and not the majority.

Birth control can be very expensive. If you can buy the generic pills, it's not too bad. Even the generic can cost around $10, that's $120 a year. For some, that's $120 they don't have a year. But, the generic causes many side effects including depression, weight gain, heart conditions, vomiting, abnormal bleeding, cannot be taken with other medications and increases the chances of stroke. That is just to name a few. Some women just can't take it. I've know friends who had to take birth control that costs $40 a month for health reasons, aka $480 a year.

News flash folks, birth control prescribed by a doctor works like ten times better than the over the counter stuff anyways. Everybody knows that.

If you have to take another doctor-prescribed birth control form route, it can be VERY EXPENSIVE.

The simple truth is that owners of businesses like Hobby Lobby just don't want to give out more benefits out of its own pocket, and religious freedom might be the big business ticket out.

To be honest, I have so many thoughts about this topic, I am having a really hard time narrowing it down. But, if religious individuals really want to make the world a better place, not offering birth control isn't the answer.

In fact, I think it makes it a whole lot worse, for the adults, but mostly for the kids.

Saturday, March 22, 2014

A love of Sports, spawned from a zero sports family

My parents are not sports fans, plain and simple. To my dad, whatever sport it is, it's just a silly time waster. In that category he also includes playing board games, video games and going to the gym instead of doing "real man work" outside. My mom just wasn't really into sports, because to her it was boring. Plus, she never could play them as a kid because she was born with hip dysplasia. It wasn't fixed correctly, so she has never been really able to play sports or do any strenuous physical activity that requires use of her legs and hip.

Though I have wonderful parents who I love very much, I was not raised with a sports favorable upbringing. But, that changed when I started optimist basketball as a kid. I loved participating in the sport that brought adrenaline and determination. Plus, it was as fun as anything I had ever done.

However, my love of the game phased during eighth grade tryouts. The coach told me "You just aren't good enough. Yet." Instead of turning that to a positive and fighting through while training harder than ever, I did the easiest thing. I gave up. Still I watched March Madness and NBA ball all through high school whenever I got the chance. But, I didn't support my local team, except by playing in the pep band. (adjusting glasses like a nerd right now.)

But in 2003, the same year I was rejected from the team, I realized that sports was about more than just a silly child's game, contrary to my father's thoughts on the subject. I realized it when I watched the Kansas Jayhawks play Syracuse in the March Madness championship game. I watched the Jayhawks play their heart out the entire season, only to lose by three points. It was a heart breaker for sure, and I am not afraid to admit that I cried. I knew, by the look of the KU players, especially one particular photo of Nick Collison (who now plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder), that appeared in the paper the next day, that this was much more than a silly game.

To these players, sports meant a lot of things. It meant determination, hard work, years of athletic conditioning and a dream they had devoted their lives to that wouldn't be realized that year.

I don't watch March Madness very often anymore. I have a kid and husband to take care of, a newspaper and website to help maintain, church responsibilities and my own athletic ambitions to accomplish.

But, I get to live through the eyes of other athletes every year. That may sound depressing to some, but it's really not. In essence, I am doing the same thing each and every fan does. I cover sports on occasion. Almost every game I cover (unless it's a boring one), I get to see that same fight and ambition. It's even better though, because I get to see it in high school kids. It's fantastic to see ambition in the eyes of a 18-year-old kid. It's a testament to the fact, that no matter what their elders say, kids aren't getting lazier. In, fact, I think a lot of them are harder workers. Just, maybe in a different way.

I still get to enjoy a game, but now, I know a lot more about sports and I get to write about how great local student athletes are after the fact. (Yes, sometimes how bad they were too.)

So, thanks KU Jayhawks for making me realize sports is more than a game. I am not betting this year, but if I was, all my money would be on you. Rock Chalk!


Friday, March 14, 2014

No Coffee? What?

On a daily basis, I usually have more than one thing I consider blogging about. Today, I had to comment on this blog that I absolutely love about journalists who don't drink coffee. 

As someone who doesn't drink coffee, I can totally relate. I think there are lots of assumptions about journalists, including the fact that the are coffee fanatics. Some others might include that they don't care about the normal folks, but just getting their story; a lot of them are smokers and that they are all tough SOBs. Let me just say, not all those things apply to all journalists. Movies have painted an interesting picture of our field, usually, not a pleasant one.

I laughed out loud when this blogger shared that he "hid his non-addiction." The job I have now is a little non-traditional, so I don't know how I would act if I was in the office more. But, when I first started working as a journalist as an intern, I totally brought in hot chocolate in a tumbler, trying to pull off the look. Everyone else seemed to have their coffee, so why shouldn't I? I craved attention from other coworkers, desperately wanting to fit in.

I think the wanting to fit in part is natural for anyone in their first industry job and I am glad I had that time to grow and learn not to care so much. When I was in college, honestly, I didn't care about fitting in at my college paper and by the time I got to be an intern, I really cared a lot. But, now I hope I have evened out and care just the right amount :) During that time, while I tried to fit in, I learned that I didn't have to try so hard. All I had to be was myself.

Now, the soda journalist, that I can relate to. I have had three supervisors/bosses who hit the soda hard whether that be Mountain Dew or Dr. Pepper. I try to avoid that trap as well, but I can freely admit that a diet soda is a constant at my desk.

Now excuse me, I am going to go watch Michael Keaton in The Paper, because I have never seen it.

Thursday, March 13, 2014

The human population, including myself, aren't fans of change

Since I can remember I haven't liked change. I don't like getting rid of memorabilia, I don't like leaving the familiar and I don't like seeing people I care about move away.

I think I get a lot of that resistance to change from my father.(Sorry dad!) To give you an example, he likes to collect and keep things like I do, although I believe that each generation is not as bad as the last. My grandfather is a terrible hoarder and my dad a semi-terrible hoarder, which means I must just be a hoarder? In addition to that, my father hasn't shaved off his beard since the 70s. I think he's had a beard so long, that he is afraid to see what he looks like after all these years.

We all fear change to a certain extent. I read up on a Harvard article on why people resist change. I have come to the conclusion that I am a textbook case.

1. Loss of Control- I know I feel this all the time. I don't like to be out of control in my own life. I like to know things are in order and in the place they belong as well as the fact that I can control what I do in the day. I want to keep things the same, unless there is a really good reason to change it up. As they say, if it isn't broke, don't fix it.

2. Excess Uncertainty- I think this is why my dad won't shave his beard, regardless of all my requests and ranting about it. He is afraid he will look older without it, people will see his scars from teenage acne, or that people won't think he looks good.

3. Surprise, Surprise!- I like surprise parties, but I don't like surprise visitors. I want my house clean before people come. I like to plan for vacations in advance and I don't like being rushed out the door for a surprise trip.

4. Everything seems different- "We are creatures of Routine," well isn't that the truth! I literally do a lot of the same things everyday. I usually watch at least 1-2 movies or tv show episodes a day, I go on a walk/run for three miles, I get a shower, I take care of my kid, I eat meals, I work and I go to bed. I think we all do this, with a few alterations here and there.

5. Loss of Face- I do worry about how people perceive me, no matter how much I tell myself differently.

6. Concerns about competence- One topic that can describe this all. Most senior citizens and new technology.

7. More work- I won't lie, when change might mean more work I am hesitant if not at sometimes resistant. If it's really worth it, I will do it, but I don't want more work on my shoulders without a purpose and a goal that is worthwhile.

8. Ripple effects- This one is a major struggle right now. If I make a decision that could possibly change my life, how will it affect those around me? Sometimes I think life was so much simpler back when I was a free agent per say, such as a young kid, or a college age student. I often worry, if I make this decision, how will it affect my husband, my child or even sometimes, my parents.

9. Past resentments- I can't say much to this subject, maybe I just haven't lived long enough.

10. Sometimes the threat is real- This is true sometimes, but the trick is knowing the difference between the real and the imagined. Changing jobs could be real, moving across the country could be real or deciding who or who not to spend your life with.

The fact is change is a part of life, and we better start embracing it, or we're going to face our life fighting against the inevitable.

Friday, March 7, 2014

The bittersweet taste of aging

Age. It's the bittersweet truth we all have to face no matter what our belief system is. Regardless of whether we believe in life after death, the fact is, we all get old. And it never stops.

I have been thinking a lot about age lately for a few reasons:

1) I turned 25 last year and am getting ready to turn 26- Yes, I know anyone older than me is groaning very loudly. But, 25 is a big deal. I think it's the point in every person's life when they say "wow, I am really an adult now. I have lived a quarter of my life, if not more, and what have I done with all that time?" At least, I know that is how I feel. It makes me think about where I am and where I should be. But, I guess I can't go back now and I have got to make the best of where I am and try to grow and succeed from that starting point.

2) I have always related to people a bit beyond my age- I don't know why this is, except maybe because my parents were in their 40s when I was born and my closest sibling was 6 years older than me. I have always found it hard to relate to people my own age or younger on a deep level. Not that I don't have good relationships with either age difference, but it's not the same as the connection I tend to have with someone a bit beyond me. Especially, members of the opposite sex. My first boyfriend was eight years older than me, my brother 11 years older to the day, my closest friends probably range from two years to eight years in seniority and my husband is one and a half years older (which yes, I know isn't much, but it still counts). Probably some psychologist out there could twist this to say I have some sort of complex or problem, but regardless, I just like older people a lot.

3) Things I couldn't relate to or understand five years ago reach me on a deep intellectual level- A lot of times I love this about being older! Love songs make sense, story lines in books make sense and the reasons behind an individual's actions make sense. Examples: When I hear the Phantom of the Opera soundtrack I understand it's more than some creepy guy who tries to steal away the main character from her prince charming. I understand why some people's marriages don't last forever. When I watch any film relating to a parent losing a child, I cry to the point where it's hard to stop. It's amazing to be able to relate to emotions shared in our world. I love it, but sometimes, like when I relate to Memory from Cats, it gets to be a bit depressing.

4) I know who more public figures are who die- At this year's Oscars I was shocked at how many well known people had died this year. Then, a friend leaned over to me and said, "That's how you know you are getting old." Unfortunately, she's right. I doubt a 10 year old even knows who Shirley Temple Black was, unless their parents are awesome. Five years ago, I had no idea what a loss Phillip Seymour Hoffman would be to the acting world. Pretty soon (since I am a movie buff) I will probably know them all.

Regardless of where we are, we need to live life to the fullest. Who knows? Not to be cliche, but tomorrow you could die in a car accident, of a heart attack or you could lose the use of your limbs.

Not to be dramatic, or to tell people to live life in fear, but to cherish what you have. I have to tell myself that often sometimes. But, sometimes, what you have isn't so bad and it's important to realize that before it's gone.