David (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} dhavatar) wrote,@ 2008-12-01 17:30:00 |
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Giving Thanks...
We took our annual trip to see our "aunt" and have Thanksgiving dinner two hours away. She's not really an aunt as she has no blood relation to us, but has been with me since I was born in that town, so we have always called her "aunt." A few years ago, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent chemotherapy. I saw her two years ago on Thanksgiving in her weakened state, no hair left, and still fighting against it, yet she wanted us over for dinner. This year, her hair was back, her treatments were over, and all signs of cancer seemed to have disappeared, though she still dreads going to her checkups in fear that the cancer may be back and she has to go through therapy again. Dinner was larger than we could finish as usual. She always has too much food for everyone.
She makes all these baskets from pine needles. It inspires me to continue my crafts.
While talking, my step-dad mentioned how his pay is getting cut in half due to the economic situation. He only works half as much as he used to, so he's been home more often. My mom also mentioned a pay cut in her retirement funds and showed me her papers at home. The numbers look way too low to be correct. News everywhere is talking about layoffs and people losing jobs, and I've been reading about people in a forum losing jobs. It doesn't seem like a good situation for anyone right now.
Public education has been something I've been reading about, mainly because my mom is a teacher. The US spends the most amount of money on education compared to other nations, yet we are one of the worst in the world. She keeps talking about how the high school seniors don't even know basic multiplication or a circle and how the schools in Taiwan were much different. However, my mom does teach for a high school made for high school drop outs, so these are the worst of the students, but from what I've seen, even normal high schools are suffering. Every time my mom attempts to fail the student because they really don't know what x + 5 = 10 is or the probability of flipping heads on a coin, the principal overturns the grade and passes them. The Teacher of the Year goes to teachers who are constantly absent or play games on computers during class time.
It sounds like a depressing way to give thanks with these previous stories, but at least we still have a house and my parents have jobs. I'm glad I had great teachers in my high school who supported me and gave me a direction to go when I did go to college. I'm thankful that I can still pursue my ideas and make something.
On a happier note, while cleaning my room, I found all the LNY pamphlets from Duke and the hundreds of slides from the shows. I can finally start working on my photobook now that I have everything.
We took our annual trip to see our "aunt" and have Thanksgiving dinner two hours away. She's not really an aunt as she has no blood relation to us, but has been with me since I was born in that town, so we have always called her "aunt." A few years ago, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent chemotherapy. I saw her two years ago on Thanksgiving in her weakened state, no hair left, and still fighting against it, yet she wanted us over for dinner. This year, her hair was back, her treatments were over, and all signs of cancer seemed to have disappeared, though she still dreads going to her checkups in fear that the cancer may be back and she has to go through therapy again. Dinner was larger than we could finish as usual. She always has too much food for everyone.
She makes all these baskets from pine needles. It inspires me to continue my crafts.
While talking, my step-dad mentioned how his pay is getting cut in half due to the economic situation. He only works half as much as he used to, so he's been home more often. My mom also mentioned a pay cut in her retirement funds and showed me her papers at home. The numbers look way too low to be correct. News everywhere is talking about layoffs and people losing jobs, and I've been reading about people in a forum losing jobs. It doesn't seem like a good situation for anyone right now.
Public education has been something I've been reading about, mainly because my mom is a teacher. The US spends the most amount of money on education compared to other nations, yet we are one of the worst in the world. She keeps talking about how the high school seniors don't even know basic multiplication or a circle and how the schools in Taiwan were much different. However, my mom does teach for a high school made for high school drop outs, so these are the worst of the students, but from what I've seen, even normal high schools are suffering. Every time my mom attempts to fail the student because they really don't know what x + 5 = 10 is or the probability of flipping heads on a coin, the principal overturns the grade and passes them. The Teacher of the Year goes to teachers who are constantly absent or play games on computers during class time.
It sounds like a depressing way to give thanks with these previous stories, but at least we still have a house and my parents have jobs. I'm glad I had great teachers in my high school who supported me and gave me a direction to go when I did go to college. I'm thankful that I can still pursue my ideas and make something.
On a happier note, while cleaning my room, I found all the LNY pamphlets from Duke and the hundreds of slides from the shows. I can finally start working on my photobook now that I have everything.
