Stuggles and Buggles

My life right now at the 3rd week of school consists of riding the bus, going to class, meetings, work, and friends. I put a lot on my plate by volunteering, working, and finding time for friends. I guess everyone goes through these struggles. I have been VERY blessed by having my college paid for, but I always never want to tell people that because people then will get the since that I don't work hard. Or they will look at me differently because I am not the "norm". This situation of not wanting to be looked at differently because of something that you had no influence over is something that I feel will effect me a lot in social work. I know my physical example is not comparable to a job loss or something because that is something bad while mine is good but the situation is the same. Things like loosing a job can just be pushed on people without their say and their embarrassed to admit it. I am a moderate conservative when it comes to things like social programs and yes, this is quite rare in the field of social work. But I have to say because of the way our education of this field is leaned it also is going to have an impact on my views.

Something that happened today- For a social work class were were assigned to a partner and head to heart-side downtown GR to interview people of that community about some questions we made up our selves. I was partnered up with a 30 year old women that grew up in GR and a 32 year old military man that just got back from iraq last year with two little kids (one just started kindergarten this year). We discussed the questions we were going to ask then we went off in search of community members. We found this cute coffee shop named Gojava in GR we got to talk to the owner and the barista of this shop. They both live and work in GR and had great insights to GR as a community.

People that are just willing to talk to us and give us what they think of the community and then for my partner that was in the military to purchase coffee for us all just makes me so glad that there are nice generous people out there. Sometimes you just need that reminder.

 I am on the GR transportation system everyday and I saw this in australia as well.. there is like this unspoken rule to 1. ignore everyone around you. 2. to get to where your going without smiling 3. get there as quick as possible. I like to call this the black tie affair. When I first used transportation in Australia something seemed so professional and so attractive to me about this group of people. I wanted to be like them I wanted to know the train system so well that I could be on idle as I go through my commute to work I wanted to be completely oblivious to people around me. I wanted to dress, talk, and walk like the people that were heading to their "big kid jobs". Why did I want this? I love the city but I also feel like "the black tie affair" is a big park of the city.
As I am riding the bus everyday I see the ugliness and the unattractive, boring gross side of transportations.  I just want to scream WHY IS EVERYONE SO LIFELESS?!

Love,
Ally