Some days I just want to belt humanity with a convenient asteroid. I look at articles like this and wonder how many apocalyptic novels they've inspired.
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- Elizabeth Barrette (
ysabetwordsmith) wrote,
Elizabeth Barrette
ysabetwordsmith
- Mood:
angry
Children as Caregivers
Some days I just want to belt humanity with a convenient asteroid. I look at articles like this and wonder how many apocalyptic novels they've inspired.
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Physics Staircase
I am familiar with many of those upper steps! :D There is no end to knowledge and discovery. It has mountains upon mountains.
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Bowling Ball and Feathers
... in case you want to see an ancient science experiment done now that we have the proper equipment.
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Notes for "An Elusive, Tantalizing Partner"
These are the notes for " An Elusive, Tantalizing Partner." "Science is like a love affair with nature; an elusive, tantalizing…
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Physics Staircase
I am familiar with many of those upper steps! :D There is no end to knowledge and discovery. It has mountains upon mountains.
-
Bowling Ball and Feathers
... in case you want to see an ancient science experiment done now that we have the proper equipment.
-
Notes for "An Elusive, Tantalizing Partner"
These are the notes for " An Elusive, Tantalizing Partner." "Science is like a love affair with nature; an elusive, tantalizing…
May 18 2012, 19:10:27 UTC 9 years ago
I'm not trying to validate or excuse this at *all* but sometimes one simply does what is necessary simply because it must be done and we were the only ones to do it. How to you not care for your ill/injured mother when she needs the help and you're the only one there?
It's a tough world. I will say, though, that our educations never suffered for it and that we had a wonderful support structure within the small town and the local church. I shudder for those young ones who have no such resources.
And I surely don't have the answers here.
Thoughts
May 20 2012, 05:36:22 UTC 9 years ago
It's lucky that you had some support.
>>I'm not trying to validate or excuse this at *all* but sometimes one simply does what is necessary simply because it must be done and we were the only ones to do it. How to you not care for your ill/injured mother when she needs the help and you're the only one there?<<
When one has the capacity, one adapts.
When one does not have the capacity:
One may try and fail. Perhaps one makes a mistake that is damaging or fatal.
One may do the work, and accept the stress, until one's own body and/or mind tear apart under the strain, destroying one's own health and perhaps life.
One may see these possibilities, and leave; and in all likelihood everyone around will cast blame and aspersions and the result will be utter misery anyhow.
It is like lifting a weight. Everyone has some weight they can lift and some they cannot; some they might lift once, but a much lower amount that they could lift regularly. Some people's bodies adapt and grow stronger when they lift things. Other people tear muscles and tendons or have a heart attack trying to lift too much. People kill themselves every winter just trying to shovel snow because it needs to be done and there is nobody else to do it.
I happen to believe that trying to force people to do things beyond their ability is wicked. It doesn't work; it doesn't actually get the job done; it just harms people. That's a bad plan on a practical level as well as a moral one. It bothers me that this society doesn't seem to care if things get done adequately, or at all, or how badly people might get damaged trying to meet unreasonable demands.
Re: Thoughts
May 20 2012, 16:23:29 UTC 9 years ago
Oh, I don't disagree with you on that point one bit. There just isn't enough support structure in our society to help take care of those who will fall through the cracks. The attitude of "oh, they deserve it due to their own choices" is such an elitist and narrow point of view.
Re: Thoughts
May 20 2012, 19:38:27 UTC 9 years ago
That's true, and it causes a lot of problems.
>> The attitude of "oh, they deserve it due to their own choices" is such an elitist and narrow point of view.<<
Usually made by people who have never seen the dearth of choices farther down.
Re: Thoughts
May 27 2012, 05:20:35 UTC 9 years ago
What I was NOT allowed was to have a separate life, apart from their demands and requirements.
This has made me really resentful of being a caretaker, EVER- though I try to get past that when it's someone I love. And I do my damnedest not to require or need caretaking myself.
The stress of it all, when I was in my teens, gave me chronic ulcers. -Which, of course, no one took seriously.
Re: Thoughts
May 27 2012, 05:22:07 UTC 9 years ago