A Little Extra Money

Boss surprised me yesterday by telling me that I was not only going to get the regular 3% cost of lving raise, but an extra percentage that he requested for me, as well. Guess he didn't hold being childfree against me after all (smile).

When I left for work yesterday morning, I ran into a neighbor from down the hall who has two children. She, her husband, and the kids live in a studio apartment. They are immigrants from Africa. I know she and her husband work, but it seems they don't make enough between them to afford a bigger apartment. When I first met them, their youngest child was not walking yet. Now he is, and both he and his sister are in day care. They're growing fast, as kids tend to do. There are other support staff people at my job who make approximately the same that I do, some a little more, and some a little less. I know I could not afford kids on what I make. Of the support staff that do have children, I don't know how they manage, especially the ones who are single parents.

It galls me that so many men go around dropping babies everywhere, further swelling the population unneccesarily, then stand on the corners, bragging about their kids, who they do not help.

For some reason, one of my relatives who has seven kids he's not taking care of, crossed my mind. This particular relative dropped out of high school after a couple of years, having never made it out of freshman class due to not studying and doing the work. Most of his life has been spent having run-ins with the law, which have resulted in stretches of time being locked up. In between, he'd take on jobs, mostly low-paying ones. Even if the moms of his kids pressed for child support, he couldn't pay. From what I see, it appears he never spends time with any of his children. He's lumped in with what a local radio personality here called "sperm donors".

The radio personality will appear at a Father's Day function. He does commentaries, and in the last one, he really let irresponsible dads have it. "I let my emotions get the best of me," he said, during an apology some time later. I felt that he had nothing to apologize for. It galls me that so many men go around dropping babies everywhere, further swelling the population unneccesarily, then stand on the corners, bragging about their kids, who they do not help. When the moms attempt to force them into responsibility, i.e. taking them to court for child support, the deadbeat dads have the nerve to accuse the women of being "golddiggers". It's simple. . .if they don't want the responsiblity, then they need to stop making excuses about why they won't wear condoms.