jeanschiffman.com

I live in the country. All around me, people own horses and do nothing with them. They NEVER ride them or spend time with them. Theyre lawn ornaments. Theyre outside in all kinds of weather, all winter and cant get out of the rain, wind and snow. Theyre warm bloodied. You cant tell me they dont get cold.

We have really bad rainstorms, huge windy storms with hail and snow, and our winters are really long. The horses have nowhere to go for cover. The lady around the corner has 4horses, and she built 2small barns. She keeps hay in one and does not put the horses in the other. I sometimes drive by, during a bad rainstorm, and all 4horses are lined up, standing one behind the other, along the sidewall of the barn, trying to get out of the rain, because theres nowhere else for them to go.

This same woman has two yellow lab dogs. She has 3 acres of fenced grassed land around her house. The dogs are in a 10 x 10 enclosure that is full of mud and a dog house. If they want to come outside or lay down, theyre up to their knees in mud. Every time I drive by there, I see them, looking so lonely and sad. I want stop and set them free. Why do people do this to their animals?

My mother has a neighbor who has 6 horses. She keeps them in the dark barn all winter, sometimes for months at a time without opening the barn or letting them come outside. Last year, she took a young horse, put him in a small fenced area (across from the barn) where the other horses were. (Horses are companion animals and they get lonely. They will stand next to goats or sheep or cows, anything, just so theyre not alone). She put a horse blanket on him, and left him for 4months, alone, and he stood there every day and night, standing in mud, facing the barn, because he knew thats where the other horses were. It would rain and snow. The blanket would soak up the water and then freeze on him. He stood there through lightening, thunder, wind, hail, snow, whatever, waiting for the day when she would take him out of there. It broke my heart.

I called the Animal Control and they said as long as he had water and food, he was fine. Horses are NOT lawn ornaments. They have feelings and body temperatures and they feel bad weather. Why do people treat their animals that way?

While we were in college, my sister and I had both started dating this new guy, Glen. Neither one of us knew it at the time, because she knew him as Glen. I knew him as Steve. She lived in the dorm and I lived in an apartment with a roommate from high school. We hadnt talked in a few weeks and when we did, we were both surprised to find we each had a new guy in our life. She was as happy as I was, and who would have believed wed both found love about the same time. Sounds too good to be true? It was.

It turns out he was dating us on opposite days of the week. This went on for about a month. I happened to be over at my sisters in the dorm and I saw a picture of her and my Steve on her nightstand and asked her who was in the picture. She said Glen. I said, No, thats not Glen. Thats Steve. She said, No, sorry. Its Glen. We had both been two-timed. Neither of us let him know we were on to him. We would get even.

I had a date with him on Friday and she had a date with him on Saturday. I told him I would meet him at his apartment. We went to his apartment together at the appointed time and he was surprised to see us both there. I sarcastically said, Meet my sister. We know youve been two-timing us, but were fine with it. He said, Really? I said, Sure, and walked in with champagne and glasses in hand. I said, We came to party.

Neither of us had done more than kiss this guy so he was thrilled. I said, You like twosomes? Were feeling a little kinky. Do you want to try sisters? He could not wait and sped into the bedroom. We stripped to our Victoria Secret bras and panties, complete with garters. I thought he was going to come unglued. He poured the champagne. We undressed him to his boxers. My sister took off her nylons ever so slowly and then proceeded to tie him to the bed so that he couldnt move. He was loving it.

When we were convinced he was snug, we quickly dressed. Turned the stereo and TV all the way (so someone could come in and untie the poor guy in the most humiliating predicament). And we both said, Were not mad. Were done. Dont call us anymore, and we left. Nothing worse than a scorned woman.

I grew up in a big city, lots to do, places to go, tons of jobs, and the nightlife was amazing. I went to many concerts, clubs, always something to do, and I had the money to do it. Then I got married and became a mom.

My parents retired and moved to a small retirement community in Oregon. Our little family (four boys and my husband) would visit them and we were amazed at what we saw. There were no sirens, police helicopters at night, smog, jammed freeways, traffic accidents everywhere, road rage, bank robberies or car jackings. None of that existed. We visited Oregon twice a year, summer and Christmastime.

My husband and I both commuted an hour and a half to go to work and we worked opposite shifts. We had incredible high paying jobs and really didnt want for anything. He had 16years seniority, and I had 15. Our jobs were ours as long as we wanted them.

In 1996, we decided that quality of life was more important than having money and great jobs. We moved to Oregon. He had a job waiting for him. I did not. The only place where I could work the graveyard shift was Wal-Mart. I left a $38 an hour job to work for $5.25 an hour. Talk about culture shock. After three years at WalMart, I quit and started a home-based business.

Money became a big issue in our marriage. We kept telling ourselves, We dont need as much money in a small town. Gas prices are the same, food is the same, housing was a lot lower and then I think the whole state of California moved here, and now housing prices have gone through the roof.

The kids are now grown. We are now divorced. Hes still at the same job. Hes in a new relationship. Im living with adult kids who cant afford to live on their own. Now that Im single, there is no night life. Nowhere to meet men. The winters last forever and Im so tired of gray skies, rain and snow. What I wouldnt give for daily sunshine.

If we had to do it over. I think we would have both stayed at our high paying jobs till retirement. Then moved to the small retirement community. Hindsight is everything. If youre thinking of moving to a small town, wait till youre older. Keep your high paying job, if youre lucky enough to have one. They say money isnt everything. It is. Ask your creditors, landlord and utility companies. Dont make the same mistake we did.