Bonita of Bwana
Posted : 5/27/2008 10:20:40 PM
Rural Alabama does not have a even moderatley funded Head Start program. As long as English is the primary language they drop significantly on the need chart. After Hurricane Katrina we were flooded by folks who lost their homes. My family went to everyone we knew and even raised funds at dog shows to help the "new kids" get uniforms and supplies. The thing is while All of us felt tremendous sympathy for the famlies who had lost everything... the families who had come to our community to help with the rebuilding brought children too. Kids who spoke little or no English, Kids with one major perk, they had been born in our country, the parents had not but the kids had..... Often the kids speak English better than the parent.
I really do not begrudge anyone having a chance to improve thier lives. I applaud the desire to become educated and to learn how to build a new life and world...... But dang it all, My children and grandkids were born here . They are being raised to give back to the community , they are being taught to love others. I fund raise and do every extra hour I can helping families assimulate and have a life that all of us would enjoy. I bring my dogs to the school to allow kids to read to them, I encourage them to feel comfortable and welcomed. Racial remarks and attitudes have long been banned among my friends and family , you would not want to be one of my kids had I heard you use words that others find just one more adjective or one more cultural phrase. And I have made sure friends who are older and use this as an excuse understand if they use certain words around me all bets are off....
I vote my concious and I challenge the people who I think are small minded and not interested in seeing the success of others. But As I said I am Not A Good Person today. I am angry , not annoyed , but ANGRY. I have covered all the costs of my grandkid's care far above and beyond what we had to. We have kept them together making sure the expenses of my children's children did not fall on the community. We are NOT wealthy. Heck right now we are scraping to get by. I do use govermental assistance to cover medical bills but not anything else. I had sent my two daughters to Catholic school for a year , it was a great experience for them. Even IF I could afford it ....they are all full from the deluge of kids who actually are Catholic. ...apparently they deserve the experience and educational opportunities offered to them more than my kids.
SO Do I close my check book and refuse to work side by side with the folks trying to make a better home ? DO I try to ignore the fact that my incredibly intelligent grandchild must depend on G'ma to make sure she, like her sibling and cousins, will be far better prepared and challenged ? BECAUSE G'ma makes it so??
Do I just go ahead with the concept that things are simply not easy, that it is not always fair.... That sometimes despite my entire life thinking that "Right made right"??? It does not.
If I was as Nice a person as I had always thought then I would shrug and take on yet another scout troup, baseball team or more time reading to kids at the library because the parents barely speak our language let alone read it.... But I don't think I am that nice. Not right now. Instead I borrowed your shoulders and cyber ears and vented. Admited to how rotten I am at the moment and will begine to figure out new ideas..... My kids will not do without. They will not have less than they need. I will just have to be creative and Thankfully I have never had difficulty thinkig outside the box !!
Number One Priority this summer??? Everyone will start Spanish lessons. From 3 to 8 yrs , by next school year they willl all have a leg up..... I do not know how and why the world works for them the way it does.... but we will have a heck of a summer !!
My babies will not suffer for G'ma being less nice than my ego had always assured me I was. In fact they may have some adventures they would not have had
Bonita of Bwana