Personal Rant

When it happens, I want to scream. Instead, I smile and nod and respond as polite society expects. By it, I mean whenever I say something that is very important to me, a really big deal, and the person I'm talking with shrugs it off. It can also mean when someone else places their assumptions about the world on me. I hate when that happens. But what am I to do?

I've never been what most would consider conventional. I'm not a fan of clothing that boldly proclaims the latest trademark or logo. Even as a teenager, I never much cared for shopping at all, and the latest trend has always been the least of my concerns.

Go back even further...grade school. In 6th grade, as part of our P.E. curriculum, we had the opportunity to either go cross country skiing or downhill skiing. My mother told me years later that she'd been impressed with my decision, not because of the decision itself but because of how I made my decision.

She saw the permission form and asked me, "What are you going to do?"

I told her, "I think I'll go cross country skiing."

She asked, "Who else is signing up for that?"

I shrugged and said, "I don't know." And honestly, I didn't much care. I knew I'd have fun skiing with whoever made the same choice.

Unbeknownst to me, my mother checked around. Apparently, other kids in my class were on the phone for hours that night, trying to decide who was doing what so they could make the right choice.

Flash forward. My boyfriend and I had been together for years, ever since the end of high school. We both went on to college, so marriage wasn't a priority for either of us in those early days. Then I graduated and began my first job. I knew my boyfriend didn't believe in the convention of marriage, but I liked the idea of publicly sharing our commitment to each other for all the world to see. He was resistant to the idea, so I backed off, happy enough to just be with him, and I was as surprised as everyone who really knew us when he did eventually pop the big question. And then it started. Family members and friends...it felt like almost everyone who saw my ring wanted to know the same thing, "When are you going to start a family?" Just thinking about that question makes me want to scream. Why can't just two people together be "a family"?

I wanted to shout out, "That's not why everyone gets married!"

I'm unconventional, remember? So we waited 10 years to have our first child and enjoyed being a family of two. I love my daughter so much; we both do. But we don't know that we will have any more children. Still...not more than a few weeks ago, one of my friends talked to me as if we will someday soon have another baby. I wanted to shake her and say, "There's a big difference between when and if." But I didn't. Instead, I kept from rolling my eyes, smiled and let the conversation naturally move on.

It continues to happen in another, more serious aspect of my life. Just over a year ago, we moved away from our hometown, from family and friends, from a location where we were comfortable. We left behind our house that we now rent out. I left behind a job that was becoming ever more stressful but also co-workers I enjoyed knowing on a professional level as well as a personal friendship level, students I cared for, and parents who stood behind the school and teachers. Leaving was not an easy decision. That all must be made perfectly clear for my next point to be completely understood...

Sometimes I tell people, "In order to make a stand, we made a choice to move away from Wisconsin. Besides, I don't want my daughter going to school anywhere in that state for the foreseeable future."

There aren't words to adequately describe how it feels to hear the response, "Yes, we don't like what's going on in Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio, (pick a location) either. It must be nice to have the option to move."

Really? Really! Moving was not a simple option! It was a choice, and it was one of the most difficult decisions I've ever made, yet I believe it was the right decision for us, and I'm happy to report that moving has led to an amazing job with wonderful coworkers and students, and some fabulous new friendships. Thank you to everyone who has been there for us.

I'll end with a plea. Please do not vote for Governor Scott Walker if he runs for president. If you don't know why I would say that, please refer to Congratulations, Scott Walker... You win! For now, I'll hold my fears in check, and will rely on the compassion I believe most U.S. citizens have for each other.

S.L. Wallace is the author of the Reliance on Citizens trilogy and Retrospection.

Congratulations, Scott Walker... You Win!

On June 5, 2012, Scott Walker retained his seat as governor of Wisconsin, leading me to the conclusion that the majority of Wis. voters do not value public employees. And so a year ago today, we were in the midst of negotiating a rental agreement with friends because in the current market we cannot afford sell our home. We were also planning for a new job in another state where our values more closely align with those of public policy.

Clearly, Governor Walker has an agenda that does not include doing what's best for his constituents. Public employees are the foundation of a healthy, thriving society. Yet those are the exact people Governor Walker has been targeting. First, he illegally busted public unions. According to U.S. District Judge William Conley, “Walker’s anti-union legislation contains parts that are discriminatory and therefore, illegal.” All along, Walker has claimed that he's simply trying to balance the state budget. But is he really? After all, he rejected the Obamacare Medicaid Expansion that would have brought in a large sum of money in order to help Wisconsin citizens.

Let's take a moment to think about a strong and healthy society. In a healthy society, people's basic needs met are met with little difficulty. In addition, most people in a healthy society earn a little extra, so they can give back to their community, thereby keeping the whole strong. That is all made possible by ensuring a middle class filled with a mix of public and private employees who are typically not overworked or overstressed. In a strong society, public employees provide beneficial services such as police officers, firefighters, and public health officials, the type of people who keep communities safe. Furthermore, a Democracy relies on educated citizens which means putting a high priority on public schools. Finally, institutions such as public libraries and parks departments provide everyone with clean and beautiful places to go for recreation. What do all of these things have in common? They benefit everyone, rich or poor, old or young. And they should not be privatized.

When businesses become privatized, what usually happens is that only the healthy are cared for, only the strongest thrive, and only those who do not reduce the bottom line are valued. The flaw with the argument that it's better to privatize is that people aren't merchandise, people aren't things. People are, well, people. As a group, we are stronger with diversity, we are healthier overall because of our differences. If Governor Scott Walker and his supporters can learn to value everyone, they may be surprised to see that the bottom line will flourish.

Sadly, I don't believe that's going to happen. Here is some news you may or may not know coming from the state of Wisconsin.

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker Signs Bill Requiring Ultrasounds for Women Seeking Abortions

Wisconsin Governor Signs Sick Leave Bill

Governor Walker Rejects Obamacare Medicaid Expansion in Wisconsin

Governor Signs Abstinence Sex Education Bill

Walker's Colossal Giveaway to Mining Co. in Wisconsin

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker Signs Three Anti-Abortion and Anti-Contraception Bills into Law

Scott Walker Proposes Expanding Voucher School Program

It's been over a year now since my family and I knew we would be moving away from our hometown, away from family and friends, away from a community we will always love. I'll be straightforward about this: the Wisconsin I knew is gone, and I greatly fear for the future of the state. Pulling taxpayer funding away from the public sector means that everyone will be supporting private interests. As much as I miss living in Wisconsin, at this time I can honestly say that I do not regret our decision to leave. And I know for a fact, that I am not alone.

S.L. Wallace is the author of the Reliance on Citizens trilogy and Retrospection.