Raising productive citizens counts
Published 11:30 am Friday, May 25, 2012
In reference to the Wednesday editorial, “What really hurts women”: I have a different slant. I was unfortunate enough to be young, unskilled, pregnant and unmarried at a time when it was unthinkable. I married the man who, of course, I divorced later, with two children in tow.
I could have thrown my children to the wolves and obtained schooling (which I tried) in order to “provide a better life for our little family,” but I encountered extremely negative circumstances during this effort. It made my decision to care for them myself an easy one. I took part-time jobs so that I could be available for them. I could not make enough to take care of us, so we went on public assistance. We received $297 a month, food stamps and medical coverage for my children. We never felt “poor” really because what we needed and didn’t have, we usually made. I saved the bills until the next time money came in, but I paid them.
When my youngest was 15 and determined to go to college, I obtained a job with a government agency, determined to pay back the state for the aid it had given to help us make it. The government agency was corrupt and I became physically ill because of the severe compromise of my principles and had to leave. After that I could no longer work.
My children are successful and happy now. The thing is, because I found it necessary — due to society’s various dysfunctional traits — to raise my children myself, I am now entitled to only $700 a month Social Security because of the number of years my work record was minimal, irrespective of the intensive time I spent providing society with extremely productive, socially acceptable, well-adjusted citizens.
My lifestyle hasn’t changed from the time I was raising my children, but their lives are bountiful and good. I really don’t mind. I’m poor as a church mouse but feel very rich. I know I won’t be raising my grandchildren because my children are on drugs or in jail. A career and money never mattered more than my children.
Mary Domingos
Monroe
