Billygoat

Joined

• started 230 topics
• posted 5,200 times   see topics posted on
• send a message

Posts by Billygoat

• 
  20

  Personal Hardships and Personal Responsibility

  by Eyebrow2 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hey there.....i was thinking about this after reading through a few earlier threads discussing about the hurricane (this is not a thread about that by the way) which lead to people bring up personal hardships.

  etc.. i too have had my share, but there is always some one that has had a rougher time than i have.

  as a jw, i found that many of the hardships that occured to me as an adult was sometimes the result of poor decisions that i had made...but didn't realize that until after having a breakdown, and getting out of the kh (please note: i don't blame the breakdown on being a jw...just so you know).

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Billygoat

  Billygoat is great, always thought so, even if she only has moderate affection for me.

  Aww Cyggy, I've always had affection for you!
• 
  20

  Personal Hardships and Personal Responsibility

  by Eyebrow2 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hey there.....i was thinking about this after reading through a few earlier threads discussing about the hurricane (this is not a thread about that by the way) which lead to people bring up personal hardships.

  etc.. i too have had my share, but there is always some one that has had a rougher time than i have.

  as a jw, i found that many of the hardships that occured to me as an adult was sometimes the result of poor decisions that i had made...but didn't realize that until after having a breakdown, and getting out of the kh (please note: i don't blame the breakdown on being a jw...just so you know).

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Billygoat

  ((((eyebrow))))

  Good points! But you must not read all my posts, because I do have my share of whining. And if you guys don't see it here, then talk to Mozz and see what he deals with. LOL Seriously...I think all of us whine at times. I don't think it's necessarily bad either. Sometimes a good whine is needed just to feel the solace of "being heard." But at some point, a fire has to be lit and action must take the place of boo-hooing. The only time it's unhealthy is when the whining doesn't stop and the action doesn't start.

  Many of my lifes "downs" have been out of my control. My abusive parents. My cocaine dealing boyfriend when I first moved out into the world. My getting laid off from several jobs where money was mismanaged. My lung surgery a few years ago. But there are other times where my "downs" have been because of ME! My getting kicked out of my parents home. My divorce. My broken heart in MANY relationships. My health issues when I don't take care of myself. There are things here that I cannot point to someone else and say, "This! It's your fault!". I can't do it. I can't play the victim role (okay maybe for a few days, but then I have to get over it) and expect to actually get anywhere positive. I have to take action for myself.

  Now on another note, I MUST address depression because this is something I've struggled with many times in my life. Depression is evil. I cannot describe it any other way. It is a slow suffocation from life. But IT IS FIXABLE. Go to the doctor. Get medication. See a therapist. (I'm a big advocate of anti-depressants, but I find it only works at it's fullest potential when mixed with talk therapy.) If you don't have the money to see a doctor, get meds, and have some talk therapy, then go to a government sponsored clinic. They can do it for cheap or sometimes for free. Ask the doctor for samples of the meds before getting a full script. Ask a friend to borrow the $100 to see a doctor. If a friend of mine came to me and said, "I'm depressed, I need help, but I don't have the cash." I'd give him the money and drive the fellow to the doctor myself. If you don't have the money to go to a therapist, hit a local Al-Anon meeting. I'm serious. It's played a huge part of my mental health in my life. In those walls, I've learned what I can control and what I can't. Even though I don't have an addict in my life anymore, I still hit meetings so I can have my dose of "sanity". Sometimes I share, sometimes I don't. Sometimes I just listen and I hear someone say something that's just a total gem and I walk away being "wowed". Best of all, it's free! They ask for a $1 donation to cover coffee, electricity, etc, but even then...how can you beat $1?

  Eyebrow, thank you for the reminder that we ARE in control of much that goes on in our lives. But only if we choose to see it and act upon it. I have to learn this lesson over and over in order to make it stick!
• 
  64

  Does anyone else not really care about Katrina?

  by sonnyboy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  ok, some people may call me a heartless bastard for making this thread, but i have to be honest.. i really don't care about the hurricane victims.

  i highly doubt that the people walking through walmart with shopping carts full of clothing and electronics would send me one f'ing red cent if i was in need (and i am in need, by the way).. i just can't find it in my heart to care at all.

  maybe i'm the only one who thinks like this, but i've been struggling to survive for the past 2 years and no one has ever lifted a finger to help me.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Billygoat

  Abaddon,

  Beautiful post!!!

  Heathen,

  I agree it's kinda hard to feel compassion anymore , we do live in a dog eat dog world where it seems only the crooks get ahead anyway . It is kinda nice to see average joe step up and help their neighbor out like is going on .Who knows maybe it will change some things in the world ........ I doubt it but will definately change some people .........

  This situation has changed many people, from New Orleans or not. It HAS changed our world. It HAS affected ALL of us, whether we want to see that or not. Things in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Baton Rouge, and many other shelter cities, have changed drastically. There are 20,000 in Dallas alone that will be looking for jobs and then homes. That changes the job market. It changes the rental/home buying market. It changes the economy. That affects all of us. I know some people are very callous about thinking "this doesn't affect ME, so why do anything?", but it's not true. It affects all of us.

  If we could all take the point in Abaddon's post, we can make this situation better on everyone in the long run. Yes, in the short term, it means for those of us that are the "haves" will have to sacrifice more than sometimes we want to or even can. But in the long run, if everyone picks up a piece here or there to help the less unfortunate out, then in the long run, it means we ALL benefit by a stronger economy. I can't see the harm in that.

  It just means we have to get out of our comfort zone, which many Americans are not willing to do. I just hope that if I lead by example, it will spur someone else to sacrifice, which spurs someone they know to sacrifice, and so on.
• 
  64

  Does anyone else not really care about Katrina?

  by sonnyboy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  ok, some people may call me a heartless bastard for making this thread, but i have to be honest.. i really don't care about the hurricane victims.

  i highly doubt that the people walking through walmart with shopping carts full of clothing and electronics would send me one f'ing red cent if i was in need (and i am in need, by the way).. i just can't find it in my heart to care at all.

  maybe i'm the only one who thinks like this, but i've been struggling to survive for the past 2 years and no one has ever lifted a finger to help me.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Billygoat

  When this is over, I doubt that few here will take 20 bux a month out of their pockets and help out someone needy in their own sphere.

  That's not true. There have been MANY MANY people here this week who've given out of sacrificing their own needs. For someone they don't know. To me that says a lot. But sometimes it does take a lot of "coverage" to get the word out.

  Tale,

  So when someone posted on a thread last spring that talesin was in desperate need and would anyone help her, and not one poster replied, does that mean they didn't realize I needed their help?

  I didn't see this thread. I'm sorry I missed it.

  Sonnyboy,

  I do understand your point. I don't agree with everything, but I understand it and why you feel cynical. There are a lot of people on this earth that truly don't give a crap. Please don't let yourself get jaded on things because of them.

  Andi
• 
  64

  Does anyone else not really care about Katrina?

  by sonnyboy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  ok, some people may call me a heartless bastard for making this thread, but i have to be honest.. i really don't care about the hurricane victims.

  i highly doubt that the people walking through walmart with shopping carts full of clothing and electronics would send me one f'ing red cent if i was in need (and i am in need, by the way).. i just can't find it in my heart to care at all.

  maybe i'm the only one who thinks like this, but i've been struggling to survive for the past 2 years and no one has ever lifted a finger to help me.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Billygoat

  It's just that I don't see this as much more tragic than things that go on every day which are overlooked because they're commonplace. I don't understand why people's 'suddenly give a shit' buttons are pushed because an event is larger in scope.

  I do see your point here. But two things...

  One, you are assuming that their give a shit buttons aren't pushed at other times of Life. It may not be in your direction, but there are times when people help that we just don't know about. Assisting one in need not be on the front page for all to see.

  Two, if it takes something of this magnitude to change people's perspectives of their own lives and how maybe they should contribute more to others in need...what is bad about that?
• 
  64

  Does anyone else not really care about Katrina?

  by sonnyboy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  ok, some people may call me a heartless bastard for making this thread, but i have to be honest.. i really don't care about the hurricane victims.

  i highly doubt that the people walking through walmart with shopping carts full of clothing and electronics would send me one f'ing red cent if i was in need (and i am in need, by the way).. i just can't find it in my heart to care at all.

  maybe i'm the only one who thinks like this, but i've been struggling to survive for the past 2 years and no one has ever lifted a finger to help me.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Billygoat

  That doesn't mean that I didn't care about the suffering of others, it made me more aware of how close I was to being on the street myself.It made me appreciate what I did have all the more.

  This was my point. I think if I hadn't lost my job on Monday, I might not be as compassionate as I would have been otherwise. So I guess in a way, I'm grateful I lost my job. My life perspective has been changed this week. Thank God.
• 
  64

  Does anyone else not really care about Katrina?

  by sonnyboy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  ok, some people may call me a heartless bastard for making this thread, but i have to be honest.. i really don't care about the hurricane victims.

  i highly doubt that the people walking through walmart with shopping carts full of clothing and electronics would send me one f'ing red cent if i was in need (and i am in need, by the way).. i just can't find it in my heart to care at all.

  maybe i'm the only one who thinks like this, but i've been struggling to survive for the past 2 years and no one has ever lifted a finger to help me.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Billygoat

  BG I think he meant $21,000 per year not $21 per hour.

  That is a drastic cut in salary

  You are right. I read that wrong. My apologies. But I can't get myself to see how that makes it any different. He has more than MANY people on this earth. MOST of us have an obscene amount of belongings and food in our cupboards. A poster on this board that has been in DIRE financial straights in the near past, gave a good sum of money to help another person victimized by this tragedy. Could she afford it? Probably not. But she gave because she realizes how many blessings she does have. She was helped by people in the past and now she has an opportunity to help another. She wasn't passing that up. Another couple on this board did the same thing. They put money on their credit card to assist. Could they afford it? No. But they did it out of the compassion of their hearts. They've been helped in the past and now they have an opportunity to help another. They weren't passing it up either. Has anyone seen that movie "Pay it Forward"? Cheesey as it might have been, the premise of it is something we could all live by.

  We live in a cold, cruel, godless world, and there's no changing that.

  YES WE CAN!!! Who says you cannot make a difference?
• 
  10

  A good story from the hurricane!

  by Billygoat in

  1. social
  2. current

  some of you may have read my comments on this thread:.

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/97756/1677835/post.ashx#1677835.

  i just spoke with the mother of the little 2 year old mentioned in that post.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Billygoat

  dams,

  I think you posted this story as well Andi? About the babies airlifted from the hospital without their moms? It was on CNN this morning that 7 of them were re-united with their moms, I think last night.

  What wonderful news!!! If I heard that there were any children that hadn't been reunited, I would go down to that hospital and volunteer to be a momma. What wonderful, wonderful news!!! We need to hear more stories like this.

  Andi
• 
  64

  Does anyone else not really care about Katrina?

  by sonnyboy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  ok, some people may call me a heartless bastard for making this thread, but i have to be honest.. i really don't care about the hurricane victims.

  i highly doubt that the people walking through walmart with shopping carts full of clothing and electronics would send me one f'ing red cent if i was in need (and i am in need, by the way).. i just can't find it in my heart to care at all.

  maybe i'm the only one who thinks like this, but i've been struggling to survive for the past 2 years and no one has ever lifted a finger to help me.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Billygoat

  Going from $40K per yer down to $21 is a bitch when you have a mortgage.

  I understand. And you know what I tell myself? BUILD A BRIDGE - GET OVER IT. You're making $21/hour and your complaining? I don't mean to sound like a hard ass because I've been there, so I understand. But there are people out here that have lost EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING. They don't have a home. They don't have a car. They don't have a job. They don't have anything but the clothing on their backs. And none of it was because of a bad choice they made. Mother Nature was the cause of this.

  I lost my job on Monday. I sat and boo-hooed for two whole days over it. And then I saw firsthand what some of the evacuees are going through. I GOT OVER MYSELF. I have a home. I have a working car. I have clothes that would last me a month if I didn't do laundry that whole time. I have enough food in my pantry to last me that same month. I have no idea how we're going to make our mortgage next month. We may end up losing our home if I don't find a job and find it fast. But it could be a lot worse. I've seen it the last several days.

  I really don't want to sound like a bitch, but your comments really make me sad. This world isn't always about you. It's about everyone in it. I hope to God that someday when you're in such dire straights as some of these evacuees, that your friends, family and neighbors aren't as selfish and apathetic as your post seems to make you sound.

  Andi
• 
  10

  A good story from the hurricane!

  by Billygoat in

  1. social
  2. current

  some of you may have read my comments on this thread:.

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/97756/1677835/post.ashx#1677835.

  i just spoke with the mother of the little 2 year old mentioned in that post.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Billygoat

  Some of you may have read my comments on this thread:

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/97756/1677835/post.ashx#1677835

  I just spoke with the mother of the little 2 year old mentioned in that post. The contact phone numbers the mom posted on that site were New Orleans cell numbers and we couldn't get in touch with her until yesterday. I left several voicemails to no avail. This morning I got a call from her. She was frantic and in tears, missing her baby. She is in a Red Cross Shelter in Beaumont, but has found some of her cousins that are willing to drive her up here to be reunited with her daughter. Her plan is to be here today or tomorrow in order to pick up her child and see her sister again. It's about a 4.5 - 5 hour drive up to Dallas from down there. It's been over a week since she's seen her baby. When I spoke with the lady's sister (the auntie who's keeping the baby here in Dallas) she said she had lost her two other daughters to a fire in 2002. A year later she has this little one and is especially protective of her.

  I can only imagine the horror of not knowing where my child is at during a situation like this. And if I had lost two children several years ago to another tragedy, I would be especially frantic.

  Stevenyc, it is because of YOUR post above that helped reunite this family again. I cannot thank you enough for what you've done. It was a simple gesture and you had no idea if anything would come of it. But if this is the only thing that comes out of your post, then it's served a beautiful purpose. I know this baby's momma would hug and kiss you if she could.

  Andi