I'm going to open my own school of procrastination ... next week

It's been a couple of days. I've bee on the hunt for apartments or a house so that I can get my chubby, white ass out of here and into something more comfortable. I've decided to say a good "fuck you" to the place that I left and stay where I am. My family is here ... the most important people.

I've been working and I don't really like it but it's money for now. Decided to go back to university in the fall to finish my degree. I want to switch from Psych to English considering I'm getting a lot of good feedback from this little thing and since I've been published in other newspapers/magazines, I think I should up the anty and get a degree behind my name. Maybe then I could be taken a little more seriously and ask for more money.

I was also thinking that I could teach some classes to make some extra money while I'm in school. When you consider that I'm a single mother of three small kids, I need all the income I can get. So, here is my personalized list of courses offered by none other than...MOI:

Fartology 101: The History and Art of Flatulence
Modern Procrastination: How to Effectively Reschedule Assignments

Okay, so I left off at two. I re-read my study plan for Modern Procrastination and have decided that I'll finish my course list at another time. See, my studies are affective!

I just realized that it's after midnight and I've got one hell of a busy day tomorrow. I have to get up with the babies, get one out to school, make a lot of phone calls to schedule a lot of appointments. It's going to be busy and stressful and I can't wait until it's Friday and it's over. Mondays are harsh days, especially ones like the one I'm facing tomorrow. I won't be reading my course schematics for Modern Procrastination tomorrow morning.

Alright, I'm done. I feel a vent waiting to come flying out of my fingertips and I don't want to do it....oh....here...it is:

Equalization payments are necessary for the survival of this island. The problem is that there has to be equalization within the communities. Take that for you what you will but I don't see the point of developing the downtown core of Sydney only. Why don't we develop Whitney Pier, New Waterford, Glace Bay, Louisbourg and bring back some old landmarks like the old motel in Broughton -- a booming business in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Wouldn't making all the towns in this God forsaken corner of the world cause our little Celtic island to become one of the more attractive attractions for businesses to set up shop. And, wouldn't all this development create more jobs thus creating more revenue within our economy? It's a sad state to realize that the biggest business on this island is the illegal sale of prescription drugs. I'm sure this isn't something that's going to be easily fixed but maybe the development of our tiny towns, the prospect of new and good paying jobs becoming available and the idea that maybe life here is worth something bring a new sense of peace to the already unhappy and jaded citizens that live here??

Now I'm sure that not everyone is looking at life in Cape Breton the same way I do. As much as I love it here, I hate it at the same time. I hate the lack of opportunity and growth. I hate the nepotism and limited job creation. I hate the opportunities that are given to those already in benefit and leaving us little peons to fight and fend over seats in call centres and shopping malls. I'm not putting down these jobs because they are decent and reasonable ways to make a living; I've been doing it myself but it's sad to look at the amount of skilled workers who are not using their talents. EDS alone has an 80% rate of university or college graduates answering their phones. Why can't we develop a plan of action that will create more jobs for those people to utilize their hard-earned education which will in turn free up more seats in these centres for other skilled workers to develop their skills and experience?? Why are the majority of our trade workers leaving the island to spend months on end in freezing cold climates on highly dangerous work sites to bring home money for their familes, some of whom had forgotten them the minute they leave the door?? It's not fair to us that we are being led to believe that the only real opportunities for a comfortable life lie on the other side of the Canso Causeway.

Alright, I've lost myself in this little rant of how unfairly this island can treat us. We do create our own fate and we are masters of our destiny. If we work hard we will be rewarded and I am a firm believer in that. However, sometimes the struggle can be foreboding and we get lost in the wash of broken promises and a sea of resumes. But, if we sit back and look at the Bras d'or Lakes, Kelly's Mountain, the Highlands, the docks, the piers, the fishing boats lined up and colourful in Port Morien we realize that the poverty that is here is almost worth the beauty that we get to enjoy whenever we wish. The quiet parks, the slow pace and the friendly people are what makes us stand out from the rest of the humdrum world. We ARE different and we are a special group of people, all living on a tiny Atlantic island, making us all a family tied by history instead of blood. We should be celebrating our heritage and developing our towns to make the most attractive place to live and work our own back yard.

So, now that naive and somewhat seemingly juvenile blabber about our islands state of affairs through half finished thoughts and sleepy hands is finished .... any arguements??