The Bakersfield Voice

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I am living the American Dream.  My parents, born in the 1930s, worked their way through college and earned their bachelor’s degrees. Employed as an agronomist and a schoolteacher, they purchased a home and raised my brother and me.

In 1976, my dad won two small black and white TVs and put them in our bedrooms; at 16, we both had a car! In this middle class environment, we felt blessed and privileged.

My parents worked hard for what they owned, and so did my in-laws. My father-in-law, a Teamster, and my mother-in-law, a housewife, raised four children. There wasn’t a lot of money, but they paid their bills and what they had was hard earned. They were exceedingly happy and taught strong values to their kids.

At 19, I married 24-year old Rob, who worked in construction and had already saved $12,000 for the down payment on our first home.

We soon had three children. Rob worked as a laborer, then a Teamster, then eventually worked his way to management of a company that employed him for 21 years. During these years, I juggled raising the kids while getting my college degree. We were on a tight budget.

A few years ago, we started our own business. We still live in the same house, we don’t go on elaborate vacations, but we finally have a pool and an RV. Our needs are met, we pay our bills, and we are happy.

Today I am celebrating the American Dream. I hope you enjoy this issue, full of political ponderings from many of our NW neighbors.

On Nov. 4, don’t forget to exercise your right to make a difference in this country: VOTE!