hard times

One of the benefits of being a military spouse is a secure job, we don't have to worry about Tim getting laid off. Even at this point in my frustration with no parking on-base, Tim working 14-15 hour days, the crummy (non-rural) places we have to live... at least we don't have the stress of trying to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table after a layoff. I feel very sorry for the thousands of Americans who have lost their jobs in the past few months. I thought it telling of the age we live in when reading a blog post describing what a fellow mom could never give up, no matter how bad the economy became. For me, these "have-tos" were frivolous; new clothes for her children (no thrift store duds for them!), multiple lessons/activities for each child, and the internet (high speed, I'm sure).

Tim has several times predicted a future Brave New World government (which we seem to be heading towards) in which the computer is the coercive mechanism that makes all US citizens acquiesce our freedoms and liberties. This already happens in the military, if you don't get your dental checkup, vaccinations, or any mandatory paperwork completed then you cannot log on to do your actual job. This could easily transfer to all Americans, requiring people to check in each morning, restrict access of political sites, and allow some faceless bureaucrat to make medical decisions for us with the simple threat of cutting off our internet access.

What are two things I couldn't do without? Food would be the first, I have quite a few food indulgences, including m&ms and Stouffers frozen dinners (for lunch) that would make me cranky if I had to go without them. The other would be homeschooling. (and I'm not alone) Internet access is a luxury, not a necessity, as my relatives who still use a dial telephone and don't have answering machines can attest.

What are 2 things you couldn't live without, no matter the circumstances?