Stand up - it's an honorable way to live

           I’ve had a variety of jobs, starting with babysitting when I was 12 years old. The eldest of seven children, I had a lot of on-the-job experience and landed an after-school job watching two boys when I was in high school.  

            On the weekends, I worked at a movie theater. I’ve filled more bags of popcorn than I can count and sold hundreds of boxes of Jujubees. I was just a face behind the counter, not worth much respect, but the job helped me put gas in my car and pay my insurance.

            I worked as a temporary office worker for Kelly Girl to pay my college tuition. Because we were temps, nobody in the office bothered to learn our names or invite us to lunch. Up to that point, jobs were a way to earn money, nothing more.

            Then started the most satisfying and lowest-paying job of my life – mom. I went through all the stereotypical situations stay-at-home moms experience and learn to surface laugh about. That included having nothing to talk about at parties except the plot lines on “Sesame Street.”

            When the boys were in school all day, I started working part-time at this newspaper. The arrangement was a great fit because I could be home with my sons but contribute to society as a feature writer. I was fortunate to interview and write about the best people in our county.

Somewhere along the way, though, reporters got blamed for biased reporting and the profession I came to love was vilified because of a few bad apples.

            I went back to college to earn my bachelor’s degree and a teaching position opened up. For eight years now, I’ve been teaching high school journalism, passing on my love and passion for not only writing but for showing young journalists they can change the world in a positive way with their words.

            And once again, the profession I’ve chosen has come under attack. People want to blame all of society’s woes on teachers.

There’s a nasty and misleading bill before the Texas House of Representatives, SB893, that not only slashes teacher salaries but will quickly drive out dedicated teachers who believe in education but realistically have to feed their families.

            I’ve called and written my representatives opposing this bill, and I urge others to do the same. And not just in support of educators but for any bill that’s written for special interest groups and not society as a whole.

I’m tired of being the scapegoat in my chosen profession. Instead of giving up, I’m fighting for respect, and it’s time to give credit where credit is due. Moms, your job is the basic building block of society, whether you’re working outside the home or in the home. Don’t let anyone belittle what you do. 

Teachers, your job is to educate and enlighten. Fight for what’s right and show your students that when good people sit back and do nothing, the bad guys win.

And reporters – your job is to keep watch and report. We’re counting on you to make sure justice prevails and to keep digging until you find the truth.

            No matter what career path you follow, make your voice heard when you see legislation going up for a vote that’s on the side of special interest groups, not the common guy.

Standing up publicly for what you believe is an honorable way to live. And, if I pay attention to what my parents, my teachers and my editors told me, it’s the only way.

 This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald.