Does This Mean I'm Legit ?

Submitted by Deborah_In_Muncie on Sat, 10/20/2007 - 11:00am.

Saturday morning finds me hard at work at my desk in Louisville. Ideally, I'd be in Muncie, but scheduling conflicts have made my life a little more complicated of late. That's what I need - scheduling conflicts. I've any number of " ologists " - well-paid " ologists " at that, who always remind me to ease up on stress. Apparently, they've not yet received the good word that I, like so many people, do not live in a bubble. There's alot to be said for being chained to a desk in Louisville : the local people, who seem to be warm and gracious to a fault. By the way, the ladies sometimes dress as if going to a cocktail party and this is a work environment. I show up in jeans and tee shirts. Here's where I can whine and get away with it - I'm sick, so I wear what I can manage to get on without assistance. This week, we were dodging tornado like activity. I know this because the sirens went off for hours and also because the tv reported cyclonic on the ground near our staging location, near downtown Louisville. Being an Indiana lady, I have a profound respect for funnel clouds and the terror and power inherent. In short, get the Hell out of my way, I'm headed to the basement. I remember two huge storms blowing the Hell out of Indiana - the Palm Sunday tornados and the other which blew the Hell out of the region in the mid-70's.

Louisvlle is a nice city. Old Louisville is a treasure. The large, ornate homes of the late 1800's are in very good shape and have been tenderly cared for, by and large. When one orders iced tea, you get the southern question - sweet tea ? The soft drawl of the voices. The food in the small mom and pop restaurants - seriously excellent fried chicken and I mean fried chicken made in a cast iron skillet, real mashed potatoes and fried green tomatoes. To be honest, I am loving this job right now, even if it means adjusting my schedule. It gets to you...suddenly, you find yourself using your company manners and speaking more slowly, more softly.

The MFP has been printing my Live Spaces blog for awhile. I am happy if anyone reads my words, to be honest.

When the tax hike hit us, I found my elderly neighbor in tears. Her home has been paid off for a few decades, but she lives on a very fixed income and this would greatly affect her lifestyle. I can handle this hike, because I am still working and my husband works. Still, this went right to my heart. I wondered how many other elderly residents were cowering in their homes, terrified of what the latest tax bills might mean to them. I was scared for them, angry for them and utterly frustrated that everyone was victimized by an uncaring government. Also looking down the road, I had to think what could this mean to me and my family when we would find ourselves completely retired and at the mercy of our government. Scared, angry and frustrated quickly turned into Mad As Hell, which evolved into a brainstorm - something at the core of the dilemna, something which boldly stated our predicament and response - The Pissed Off Taxpayer Party. I posted in a public venue and soon found my soul-friend, my soon to be partner and unindicted co-conspirator, the amazing witty, wise and balls to wall will of iron, Carol Bouslog. The acronym was self-explanatory - we were pissed off and we are taxpayers. OK, we were not a party, but The POT Group or Network didn't have the flash. We truly needed flash, as we had no funding. Just fire and imagination. Now, several months down the road, we are still The POT Party and most people understand we are not advocates for marijuana law reform. We became a citizen action group. Non-partisan and completely bone poor. It should come as no surprise that Carol and I are both survivors of the great social change of the 60's and 70's.

That's how we were noticed. It is also fair to say some people " borrowed " our philosophies, slogans and mission statement, but in the quest for a better quality of life for Muncie and Delaware County citizens, we happily share. After all, we are working toward a common goal. In the future, they may go off in one direction, while we stay on our path - dedicated to our original goals. The need for responsible and responsive government will never end. if we can work toward it, if we can help a few folks become educated, energized and empowered, that's wonderful.

The one thing most people comment on would be our ages and status of health. We know we are older than dirt, but we don't care. Our minds still work, at least part of the time. As for any health issues, we tackle those as we tackle the concerns of a battered and bruised community. We are in it for the long run and we are not a one-note organization. As long as we can help contribute to the well-being of our fellow citizens, we are happy to do so. There are any number of issues facing us and it's wonderful to see the people of ECI rising up to take a stand. It's a great thing to be part of a movement which could positively impact our lives and those of our kids and grandkids, our friends and neighbors. It's all about the life and pulse of a community.

As for our health, we wish to reach out to other people who may be facing uncertain futures or who may just need a sounding board. Illness can be a divisive, lonely and isolating walk.

So, I am looking forward to blogging here and on Live Spaces. I do post on another community forum as agedoldlady / agedoldlady_is_Deborah.