InWeDay
So, a number of weeks ago, I agreed to participate in International Weblogger’s Day (InWeDay). This year’s theme is change. The goal of this year’s event is to write one entry about change, about what has changed in my life this past year and what you expect change to involve in the coming year.
Change. Change? CHANGE! The past year has been all about change for me. Lots of it. Sweets and I adopted SoMi. We got engaged. We have been planning our wedding together. Sweets started a new job (which means a new routine in our home). We are buying a new home together. The change is huge. Drastic. And very exciting.
But, you already know about that change in my life. What about some of the international changes and the effect they’re having on my life…
Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Olympics. For a while, that possible change would have been huge. My home was in the path from downtown to many of the proposed athletic sites. I had visions of renting my home for a month and paying my mortgage for a year. I had momentary fears about the change in my commute. About the influx of people. You think I’m kidding. I’m not. Now that I’m quite certain I won’t be living in that neighborhood, I no longer think about the Olympics. Other than it would be a huge honor to have this often under-appreciated city in the international spotlight. I like to think it would have a similar effect as the Olympics had on Barcelona, making it that much more of an international destination.
2008 Presidential Elections. I am looking for a change. McCain is the status quo. For me, the status quo was never good enough. Let’s hope there are many more people this year who agree.
Rising Oil Prices. $60 to fill my tank with gas last weekend. I drive a little car. Not a gas-guzzler. I get my oil changed and keep the pressure in my tires right. While I might “gun it” once in a while, my car is generally well cared for and there’s only so much pick-up a 4-cylinder car can give. And I am paying that much money to fill my tank with gas? The meter read $4.509 per gallon. FOUR FIFTY. A co-worker put that into real terms for me – it’s costing me $8 per day to get to and from work. Honestly, it’s outrageous. Oil companies claim they’re not to blame. OPEC claims it’s not a supply problem, so they’re not to blame. Outgoing politicians certainly aren’t going to accept the blame. At this point? I don’t care who is at fault. I just want a solution to the problem. And the problem is … if someone like me, who doesn’t live paycheck to paycheck, who can afford to feed and house and clothe myself is having problems paying that much at the pump, how is the average American handling it? Certainly not well. Want to know where that $600 stimulus check is going? Not towards the economy.
Sub-prime Mortgage Crisis. One way for me to fix the woes at the gas pump is to move closer to work. And that’s exactly what Sweets and I are attempting to do. There was a time when we considered moving a bit further south. Further away from work. To an up and coming area. Where our dollar would go far. But with gas prices soaring? We are much more inclined to move somewhere closer to my work and somewhere he can take public transportation. How has the mortgage crisis affected our search? Well, we are certainly paying more for our house up front. Gone are the days of very little money down. We are probably getting a little less house as a result. On the other hand, there are fewer buyers on the market. Sellers are more inclined to work with the first legitimate buyer they see. They are more inclined to work with aggressively low bids. We benefit from that. So, we may have to put money down (which we would’ve done anyway) and it may take a little longer to get approved, but we actually don’t expect to be drastically affected by the sub-prime mortgage crisis. (And yes, I have my fingers crossed as I say that.)
And while the media and politicians and some industries would like you to think that this time of change is like no other. The fact remains, change is always in the air. When change positively affects us, we don’t tend to notice. When the change is negative, we scream bloody murder. And it tends to be true at macro and micro-levels. So tell me, what’s one way the world around you has affected change in your life?
June 14th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
Hmmm, the mortgage thing affected me. I have great credit, but not a lot of money down. So I am still renting… Gas, not so much because I have become a slave to the CTA (which has some downfalls, don’t get me wrong).
June 14th, 2008 at 2:05 pm
I’m grateful to have been insulated from change this year, at least from the larger world. I walk to work, I live in Canada, and I earn enough money that rising food prices aren’t a big deal within my budget. I do have changes from within, but that’s a whole other story.
June 14th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
When I read that the topic was change I started laughing. Was that custom created for you or what? :)
June 14th, 2008 at 5:19 pm
There definitely need to be some new changes to offset these negative changes, at least as far as the economy goes.
June 14th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
In the last year there has been some significant family change and more could be on the way.
A cousin joined the Navy and though it may sound ironic, it may be saving his life (for this I am ecstatic). Another cousin moved with her family to Madison, WI and we were able to see them more in the last year than in the last ten probably (her daughter and Ella are soulmates). Another cousin moved to Wyoming. Probably won’t see him much for a while. That cousin also had his second baby in the last year. But the big one is that I learned of another cousin that I have for the first time ever. This cousin was a secret for 36 years and just met her natural parents (my uncle and aunt) for the first time in her life. This has affected me more than anything this year. I became closer to my aunt who was very open with me about the whole experience and taught me the pain that she encountered and the deep pain that lingers as she lived with this everyday and longed for a different outcome, along with many others in an era were given no choice but forced to give up their child because they were young and unwed. Spending a lifetime with the loss and pain of not parenting and loving their child as they wanted. Parents not allowing a young couple to marry because they were too young and had too much potential ahead of them. Again no choice given to the couple. (ask me about this story someday) This incident led me to get involved with the ministry I am helping with Teen Mother Choices.
As for more change possibly on the way. For sure there will be changes in our little family as Jason moves on to a new job. The change could be medium to huge and could happen soon.
Sorry for the long dramatic post.
June 14th, 2008 at 8:39 pm
there certainly has been a lot of change in the world this year, hasn’t there. i hope things take a turn for the positive and the world becomes a better place for all of us.
personally, like you, this past year i’ve had TREMENDOUS change in my life. I’m hoping next year’s changes are happier than the past year’s.
June 15th, 2008 at 5:21 am
Yes, lots of change this year! Does it make you feel at all better that I drive a Honda Civic that gets 30 miles to the gallon and I pay $12.25 round trip to work? Ridiculous! Something does need to change…
June 15th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
*nods* I think you know about it all. I’m just hoping things settle soon so this economy doesn’t keep going to shit.
June 15th, 2008 at 11:49 pm
As long as politicians can receive “donations” (aka bribes), nothing will change.
June 16th, 2008 at 4:54 am
I’d have to say Matt has been the biggest change in my life. In a very good way.
And good lord those gas prices are just soaring! It’s just sick at this point!
June 16th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
I’m right there with you on the oil problem.
Last year we bought an old, but gorgeous house that isn’t at all energy efficient. We were in love with the place to care so we sort of shrugged and thought we’ll fix it, no biggie. But then oil prices went up and we are now in a position where so much of our money is going to heat the place that there isn’t any left to invest in things like insulation, windows, new water heaters, etc. So basically, we’re poor and cold and screwed.
I’m sort of scared for the winter and I’m already stressing about it.
June 16th, 2008 at 2:12 pm
This is such a good roundup of so many things that are going on right now. Also, I have my fingers crossed for Chicago to win the Olympics! I love Chicago and I’m sure everyone else will too, if they go there.
June 16th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
Very profound post. The cost of living is a certainty for me… it still scares me how far I am from owning a home, and I am far more financially secure than a good chunk of people my age. I do live in one of the most overpriced cities in Canada, though, which doesn’t help… so, while we are moving for sure at some point, this may mean not returning if I have any hopes of raising children outside of condominium walls.
However, I would urge some caution on the optimism about the Olympics. I’m in the 2010 city, and, thus far, it has affected the average resident in more negative ways than positive. Housing prices have skyrocketed, they are pushing out the homeless rather than working on a solution, and money is being dumped into ways to make the city more tourist friendly rather than resident friendly. I really hope it looks a little brighter when 2010 rolls around.
June 16th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
You make some really strong points. The price of gas rising started some years ago, and I wanted to do something about it. I bought my scooter last April to help. I drive a Nissan Sentra that gets 35+ mpg on the highway. I figure by the end of the summer, I will end up paying $60 to fill my tank in my car. It will be a fraction of that for my scooter to go 3 times as many miles on it.
As for the Olympics, Salt Lake had them in 2002 and it was an all around benefit to the entire area. If planned right, it could be a nice thing for the city.
Currently listening to Obama on Ustream.tv now… he just said the exact same thing you did in your blog: McCain being the status quo.
June 16th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
ohhh man. change this year? uh, yeah. here’s to hoping it CONTINUES to change, though, to erase all the negative changes so far :-)
June 17th, 2008 at 12:55 am
definitely the rising cost of gas, for sure!
June 17th, 2008 at 3:34 am
I have nightmares about the Olympics and I live in the ‘burbs! It will be exciting if they make it here, but hectic hectic hectic! :)