ME and MY BOLD THOUGHTS

I have decided that I'm going back to school. 

I realize that people have been jumping on this bandwagon for quite some time - really, it feels like everyone is on the same wave length these days - and I actually would have liked to have gone back before now, but I have an old student loan that went into default several years ago and it has prevented me from qualifying for any kind of additional assistance until it's paid off. What little I can afford to put towards it has hardly made a dent, but I'm doing what I can when I can.

That being said, I really feel like this is important and now is the time, and where there's a will, there is a way. I'm sick and tired of searching for jobs that I really don't want, and lets face it: with the occasional and rare exception, you can only go so far with a high school education, especially these days. Granted, I know that there are many, many successful and wonderful people out there that never took their education any further, but when it comes to pulling in a more generous paycheck, you typically have to look beyond high school.

Here is where my boldness comes into play. For those who are easily offended, I'm going to politely suggest that you stop reading now. I feel very strongly about the things I'm about to say, and I will tell you right now that I make zero apologies for my opinions. They are what they are, take it or leave it.

..................................................

These two beautiful babies are my nieces. I love them like crazy and at times I feel almost as protective of them as their mother does.

Armani

Mercedes

Ignore the fact that Armani is scowling, she was born with an attitude. 

These sweet little girls are super precious to me, and I rather enjoy the fact that I can live vicariously through my sister and thus avoid having children of my own. Don't get me wrong, I do want to have them some day, but that day is at least two or three years away. My reasons are many, but I will explain some of them (boldness alert), and one of them ties in with the whole school thing. 

Anyone that knows anything about me knows that I am a HUGE advocate for birth control. If you want the truth, I'm actually an even bigger advocate for having enough self control to keep your legs closed, but in the event that discipline eludes you, at least be responsible enough to use some form of prevention until you are SUFFICIENTLY EQUIPPED to bring an innocent human being into this world and properly raise and care for it. There are hundreds of thousands of children in this world that were born into less than ideal situations and not a single one of them had a say in the matter. I firmly believe that no child should have to come into this world under shoddy circumstances if it can at all be helped, and I feel that it is nothing short of selfish to do otherwise.

Now, I am absolutely not saying that I am against starting a family unless you are extremely wealthy and you can readily provide only the very best of everything for your children. What I am saying is that all children deserve certain things, and as far as I'm concerned, getting pregnant before you're capable of providing those things is irresponsible and immature. One of the most essential things I think a child deserves are parents that are emotionally ready and mature, because the minute that baby is born, it will never be about you ever, ever again. That's not to say that you can't ever think about yourself or do things that make you happy, it's just that your child's needs should come before your own. You have to be willing to make that child a priority, which will mean sometimes having to sacrifice what you want for what's best for them. Kids are hard work. They require lots of time and attention and love, and they also need to be nurtured and disciplined and provided for. Being a good parent demands emotional maturity.

One of the other things I think is important is being able to adequately provide for your children. Like I said, I do not think this means you have to have money to burn, but I do think that if you can do better, then you absolutely should take advantage of the option. I can do better and help my future family by furthering my education. I want to be able to stay at home and raise the children that I bring into this world instead of having the local Daycare workers raise them because I have to work a crappy job for crappy pay just to get by. I understand that for some people, this is their only option, and I'm not judging that. However, it's not something that I want for me, and fortunately, I am able to control that since kids aren't part of the equation just yet. Someday I'm going to have children, and I would like to know that I did everything within my power to bring them into the best possible situation I could create. This is something I feel strongly about for me and my future family, which for me means going back to school. This is something my husband is also planning on doing eventually, but right now I'm in a little bit of a better position to do so.

Before anyone decides to get their panties in a bunch, I would like to say that I am well aware that are many people that do not feel as strongly about these things as I do. And I have no problem with that. I know that many people believe that as long as the child is loved and sheltered and fed and they are still making ends meet (even if it's just barely), then it is enough. And for some people it is. Everybody's circumstances are different, and I respect that we are all doing the best we can with what we have. All I'm saying is that I believe that every child that comes into this world is entitled to the very best situation that can possibly be created for them, and if I am able to make it better for them just by making a little extra effort before they get here, then I really wouldn't feel right about not taking the opportunity. But that's just me.