After answering a long list of personal questions - it came out: I must live in a lower class community but have a wealthy person's "tastes". One of the key questions that made me chuckle: Have you ever attended a Rotary meeting or other local community organization? I checked YES. Today - it was voted unanimously that I become an official member. It's a sunrise meeting at 7am! I'm the only woman - which is never unsual in this line of work.
Why you say? Because I want to find a way to help people without being a regulator. Sure "I" think of my job as helping people. I'm protecting property rights, I'm making sure our water stays pristine, I'm growing the economy by being an out of the box thinker when it comes to high quality development, and I love seeing a building go up that I approved. In the end though - I regulate other people. With Rotary - I'm going to be able to give back and simply help.
The other reason? I get to listen to amazing "other programs" that I may never have enough time to help with - but just maybe instead of being an elitist - I can still love great cinema and good coffee - but also help my community.
Today's meeting was about the future of a community health center. Out of 87 counties in Minnesota - Beltrami ranks 87 for providing health services to the impoverished. A group is trying to get a community health program to be placed in this community.
About one in five people in Beltrami live in poverty — nearly a quarter of all children. The poverty rate in Beltrami County is nearly 21 percent and need is increasing, but resources are shrinking. Since the recession, the number of people getting some type of public assistance has climbed to approximately 6,000, up from around 5,000. 32 percent adults smoking, 29 percent adults obese, 22 percent excessive drinking and 44 percent having easy access to healthy foods. - MNPR News
If I could go back and do my life over again - I'd become a psychologist. I strongly feel that breaking the cycle of any health or poverty issues - is an understanding of who we are - what we're truly capable of and how to make the resources work. Extrodinary things have come from underated humans...
Oh and on being lower than the 1percent - my birthday presents included: A book on 1/4 acre farming. A camping knife. A kettle to brew coffee over the fire. A grill to set up over the fire. A gift card to Gander Mountain (thanks to my mother in law). A gift card to a local plant nursery.
I consider myself an eclectic redneck!
And so it goes...
Good post! But wasn't there another b-day present you forgot to mention?
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