ANXIETY. OH SHIT, ANXIETY.

[Bertha Venation]

SCOTUS will rule on DOMA this week. Also on Proposition 8, and I have equal anxiety about that. But DOMA affects me more directly. I am the wife of a federal employee. We are wed in a state that recognizes our marriage. If DOMA is struck down, I will have access (I was going to say "rights," but I already have the RIGHT) to Mrs. V.'s federal benefits, such as insurance and her pension.

I am so fucking nervous that I have chosen to use the word "fucking" to get my point across.

What makes you anxious? Is it the upcoming SCOTUS decisions (on any matter)? Is it something else? Anything -- do tell. Let me read about your things.

[Tobin S.]

1. The prospect of term papers makes me anxious.

But I'm usually alright once I begin the work. It's just a matter of getting the ball rolling.

I hope all goes well for you.

[Bertha Venation]

2. Tobin, dear one, how is your ankle?

Been thinking of you.

[Tobin S.]

3. It's better.

Still a little tender and bruised on the right side of my lower leg down to my foot, but I think I'll be back at work soon. I have an appointment tomorrow to follow up and hopefully get the all clear to do my job again. I'm thinking I'll be back at work on Wednesday.

Thanks for asking. And, by the way, just so it's perfectly clear where I stand, same sex partners should have the same benefits as heterosexual ones. Absolutely no exceptions.

I don't talk overtly about political topics on here frequently, which some might find suspicious and strange considering the type of board this is, so I figured I would leave no doubt. I read the other forums and play referee on the juries, but if I post at all now days it's usually in the lounge, where I feel most comfortable.

[Bertha Venation]

7. I know.

You have need to be diplomatic. I understand. But I know where you stand. You rock.


Loveya, Tobin. Truly.

best wishes for your recovery! No one deserves it more thank You.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

4. Hey Bertha,

work makes me anxious. we are transitioning to a new computer system, we are renovating all the major lounge/open areas of the facility. we have a new administrator. our physcial therapy team has been bought out three times since December. our insurance rates increased. my house payment went up (thanks, Chase). we are short staffed and I am working Over time every week this summer.

[Bertha Venation]

12. wow

You have more on your plate than any five people can hhandle.

[Kali]

5. similar - no insurance

some mild health issues, husband too

scarier the older you get


I am hoping the rulings go the correct, humane, progrsseve and logical way they should! breathe

[Bertha Venation]

13. dammit!

Health problems suck. (I know, how profound.)

[olddots]

6. health insurrance insuring us they will do everything in their power to ruin ---

our daughters life thru the American way of parasitic capitalism .

life seems to have become a shitty episodic drama about the few who care about people verses the 1%er amoral turd maggots who hide from reality.

[Bertha Venation]

14. frustration

So sorry, olddots

[TrogL]

8. Scalia is sending out some strange smoke signals

I think they're gonna say DOMA is unconstitutional and the Prop 8 people don't have the goods. Don't be surprised if Scalia writes it.

[Bertha Venation]

15. TrogL, with all due respect

Scalia will write those opinions when donkeys fly.

But I do enjoy your optimism!

[TrogL]

20. Yeah, Scalia's back true to form

No flight plans for donkeys.

[LWolf]

9. Anxiety?

I'm a teacher. That, in this era of teacher scapegoating, should probably say enough. But, to be specific:

I went back to school, gave up a paying job, and cashed in my retirement to pay my living expenses while I did my student teaching, before I could get another paying job, 20 years ago. Now I'm 53, and the economic crash and subsequent pay cuts plus school day cuts have run through every resource I had. I have a very small, inadequate TSA, a public retirement that has come under attack, been cut, and is currently threatened with extinction, and social security when it comes time to retire. I'm barely hanging on to this place that I'm upside down in since the housing crash. I pay the mortgage, but can't afford the many repairs and general maintenance the place needs, and am often skimping on necessities to make it from paycheck to paycheck.

At work, I used to be a great teacher. I was teacher of the year at my site, I taught a demonstration classroom, I was in demand to do staff development, and at the top of my field. These days, I'm barely hanging on, and have been told that I am "old school" and "need to get with the program" because I have not embraced the data-driven, test-score obsessed reforms handed down from the feds and the state. As a matter of fact, I was a vocal critic until speaking out got me booted out of a leadership position and warned by my principal during an evaluation meeting. The warning had nothing to do with my teaching, and everything to do with objecting to harmful reforms.

Anxiety? Will I be able to shut up and get in line long enough to make it to retirement? If so, will I be able to live decently when I get there?

[love_katz]

17. Hugs to you, LWolf.

I also work for a school district. I am not a teacher...have been driving school buses for over 17 years. I really hear ya about the changes in the schools, the lousy rotten budget cuts, the completely misnamed NCLB , the endless battering of teachers and schools by the fundy fanatics and Greedy Old Pukes.

You deserved better, the schools deserved better. Many of my colleagues tell me that they gave up receiving raises in return for better health care options and better benefits with the retirement program. Now the pollies want to attack the retirement program, reneging on what people were offered and were counting on to be able to retire.

I don't even want to get started on the attitude they seem to have adopted that I am too old and 'not with it' to be given more work in training new drivers, even though I have all my credentials, have years of experience which goes well beyond what my district currently needs, etc., but they keep passing me over when new opportunities for other training jobs come up and hire people with no credentials or experience instead.

With the endless budget cuts, my income has been falling steadily for 9 years.

I know about anxiety because I am barely scraping by.

We deserved better.

I sincerely hope that somehow our income increases for both of us. Here's to a better, brighter future.

[LWolf]

19. Thank you.

[alarimer]

10. My job

For the first year or so, I felt completely over my head. My anxiety caused me basically to do nothing. Or, more exactly, to just do the things I knew how to do to. It nearly got me in trouble. But I'm doing much better now, having received several votes of confidence.

I also realized that mistakes usually just mean you are trying to learn something new. No one is perfect at something immediately.

[bigwillq]

11. All the best to you and Mrs. V!

I am hoping for a ruling in OUR favor!

[Rowdyboy]

16. I live in the deep south so it likely won't affect me much....still, I just took a sleeping pill

Otherwise I'd likely wake up at 3am with no hope of going back to sleep. Now I'll get some rest and be ready. I try to be optimistic but its really hard with the Roberts court.

[love_katz]

18. Keeping my fingers crossed for all of my LGBT friends.

Wishing you all the best of luck, Bertha Venation.

That is why I changed my avatar to the red equal sign back when that became available.

Come on Supremes: let real justice prevail: strike down both DOMA and Prop 8, which should be called Prop H8.